Nis: Cyclists' Welcome Moved to National Theatre

Blockading students in Nis announced last night that they are moving tonight’s welcome for the “Guardians of the Constitution” cycling tour. Instead of King Aleksandar the Unifier Square, where the welcome was originally scheduled, cyclists will now be greeted from 8 p.m. in front of the National Theatre. Students cited the safety of everyone attending as the reason for the change.

The decision came after the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) announced a counter-rally on the same square at the same time. In addition, a talk between retired General Vladimir Lazarevic and citizens was scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in the park by the Faculty of Law, also on that square.

Why the Welcome Was Moved

According to Juzne Vesti, students announced the change of location in a statement published last night, September 23.

To avoid a repeat of that kind of situation and to make sure the welcome goes ahead safely and peacefully, in as good an atmosphere as possible, we decided to move the location to the National Theatre.

Students accompanied the invitation with a call for as many citizens as possible to attend, and with the message “the smarter side doesn’t back down, the smarter side organizes,” they said, according to Danas.

Torches at the Fortress After the First Welcome

Students trace the reason for the change back to scenes from Monday, September 21, when the cyclists first arrived in Nis and the welcome was held near the Belgrade Gate. The SNS had set up around ten stands nearby on the Fortress Bridge at the time. After the student gathering ended, according to students and media reports, citizens heading home from the welcome were heckled and insulted, after which SNS members lit torches and hung a “Serbia Is Winning” banner on the Fortress walls. Police, according to the students, separated the two gatherings that evening but also assisted with putting up the banner and lighting the torches. Srpske Novine previously covered that incident in an article about the SNS torches at the Fortress after the cyclists’ welcome.

According to unofficial information from Juzne Vesti and Danas, the SNS had announced a “general mobilization” for Thursday, and directors of public companies were, according to those sources, expected to bring as many employees as possible to the rally. No official SNS response to these claims was found in any of the sources used for this article.

Who Is Vladimir Lazarevic

Vladimir Lazarevic is a retired general and a member of the Movement for the People and the State, an organization founded on the initiative of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. His talk with citizens in Nis is part of the “Conversation with the General” series; the previous one was held on September 18 in front of the “Ratko Pavlovic” local community center, where the general, according to Danas, spoke about the casualties and material damage Serbia suffered in the 1999 NATO bombing. The head of the Nis branch of that movement, the only one in Serbia, is the general’s son, Dr. Milan Lazarevic, who is at the same time acting director of the Nis University Clinical Center and a city councilor for the SNS.

What Comes Next for the Cyclists

The “Guardians of the Constitution” campaign set out from Belgrade on September 17, with the message that the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia must apply equally to everyone. After the first welcome in Nis on September 21, the cyclists were sent off toward Prokuplje, Leskovac and Vranje. After tonight’s welcome in front of the National Theatre, according to Danas, the tour continues on toward Kragujevac, where, according to the same source, it ends on September 26.

Students also responded to the announcement of a parallel SNS rally at a location of its own choosing, calling it an attempt to “stage a picture” of support for the government. “We understand their need to have what we have, you and your support. But let’s not give them a single second more attention than they deserve,” they said, calling on citizens to simply smile when they pass by the SNS stands.

The welcome in front of the National Theatre is scheduled for 8 p.m., while General Lazarevic’s talk at the old, originally announced location begins half an hour earlier.