Before the protest in Belgrade, students in blockades unequivocally called on the citizens of Serbia to do the same as them – to self-organise and reclaim the right to political participation.
“What plenums are for us, assemblies are for citizens”, the students announced. Since then, they have been sending daily calls – Everyone to the assemblies.
The political crisis in Serbia doesn’t only imply government instability, whose resignation was finally acknowledged in Parliament, or the tension in political life; it implies a deeper political crisis marked by reduced citizen participation not only in decision-making, the reshaping of citizens’ electoral will, but also in the fundamental right to political thought. It hasn’t been uncommon for any civic activism to be demonised from the authorities and through the media as “politicking”, as if engaging in politics itself were something unacceptable.
This has completely changed in the last few months. The student movement has changed the narrative – political demands are not the same as party demands; having a political demand doesn’t mean having a hidden interest. The interest can be exactly what is sought in the demands.
Citizens have responded to the call. Before heading to Belgrade for the protest on 15 March, the people of Čačak didn’t just organise a citizens’ assembly, they dismissed the mayor of this city – unanimously.
Assemblies are being held everywhere. They have been held in Vlasotince, Niš, Obrenovac, and are announced in Aranđelovac and Novi Sad.
It has been three months since the last sessions of the Belgrade municipal assemblies, so these days citizens are organising assemblies before the scheduled sessions. Last night, an assembly of citizens of the Belgrade municipality of Vračar was held, and tomorrow the same will happen in Stari Grad. An assembly has also been announced in Zemun neighbourhoods, and the assembly in Rakovica has become regular. An assembly is also being held today in front of the municipality in Loznica, as well as in other cities across Serbia. Citizens are discussing communal problems and community needs, but also the current political situation.
They often “egg”, or throw eggs at Assembly buildings and government representatives.
The Serbian original of this article was first published in Mašina. This English translation, by Adam Novak, was first published on the website of Europe Solidaire Sans Frontières.