On 22 November 2024, Nova.rs (https://nova.rs/) television journalist Ana Marković was assaulted while covering the “Stop Serbia” (Zastani Srbijo) rally near the Faculty of Dramatic Arts (Fakultet Dramskih Umetnosti) in New Belgrade municipality of the city of Belgrade, Serbia. The protest, organized in memory of those who died in the Novi Sad, Serbia, railway station roof collapse on 1 November 2024, involved a 15-minute traffic blockade at the intersection. The event escalated into violence when frustrated drivers clashed with demonstrators.
According to Marković, one of the drivers struck her forearm while she was recording the incident, knocking her phone to the ground. Witnesses at the rally defended her, urging the driver to leave her alone. Marković reported the lack of police intervention despite their proximity to the scene.
You can read the Nova S article here: https://nova.rs/vesti/drustvo/novinarka-nova-rs-udarena-pesnicom-tuca-na-skupu-kod-fdu/
The protest was marked by broader altercations, with drivers physically attacking attendees, including students, faculty, and other citizens. Although participants attempted to explain the reasons behind the blockade, tensions boiled over into further scuffles.
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) condemns the physical attack on journalist Ana Marković of Nova.rs. Violence against journalists is entirely unacceptable and represents a grave threat to press freedom. SEEMO calls on authorities to thoroughly investigate this incident, hold the perpetrators accountable, and ensure the safety of media professionals. SEEMO will be closely monitoring this case to ensure justice is served and to advocate for the protection of journalists across the region.
South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is a regional non-governmental, non profit network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in Southeast, South, East and Central Europe. SEEMO members are in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova (with the territory of Transdnestria), Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye / Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Austria, Italy, Vatican and San Marino have a special status in SEEMO. SEEMO has over 3000 individual members, and additional media as corporate members.
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