Starting today at 6:30 PM, rallies organized by the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) have been called in over 80 cities and municipalities in Serbia, which are presented as initiatives of “citizens opposing the blockades.” Through social networks and government-run media, a massive call for participation has been made, attempting to create the impression of a spontaneous response to months of opposition protests.
Pro-government media outlets such as Politika and Informer report on mobilizations in almost every municipality, presenting this as a response to protests that have been denouncing corruption, authoritarianism and abuses of power for months. Meanwhile, the 021 portal points out that rallies were held in all local governments in Vojvodina, except Novi Sad, recalling that the previous events, on August 20, were also organized by an NGO closely linked to the government.
President Aleksandar Vučić has declared that the rallies are not against protests, but against blockades, avoiding any responsibility for the political crisis that, according to analysts, was caused by the government itself. Interior Minister Ivica Dačić reported about 33,000 participants, but police figures have been criticized as manipulated to boost the image of the SNS.
Local analysts see this mobilization as an attempt by the government to dilute the impact of authentic citizen protests, which have been demanding transparency, democracy and accountability for months. According to them, the massive mobilization controlled by the government aims to clash a “fabricated protest” with the real one, deepening political divisions in the country.
