Organizers and opposition activists marked the six-month anniversary of the 1 in 5 Million protests by forming another so-called Free Zone in the city of Krusevac which was the site of the beating of an opposition leader which launched the protests.

The protests began under the slogan Stop to Bloody Shirts, alluding to the blood soaked shirt of opposition leader Borko Stefanovic who was hit from behind and beaten by men who the opposition alleged are linked to the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). The protests slogan changed after President Aleksandar Vucic said he would not talk to the demonstrators even if there were five million of them on the streets.

The protest organizers set up a Museum of SNS realism in Krusevac. Freedom and Justice Party (SSP) deputy leader Borko Stefanovic told N1 that the Free Zone, which protesters first set up in front of the Serbian Presidency building, is moving from place to place across the country “wherever it is needed”.

SSP leader Dragan Djilas said a lot had changed over the past six months. “An energy has appeared which won’t go away and will be on the streets again once the time is right. The authorities have shown what they are in these six months and also, as a consequence of the protest, the European Commission report very clearly says what we have been saying,” he said.

Nebojsa Zelenovic, the opposition mayor of Sabac and a senior official of the united Democratic Party, said that “rebelling Serbia has managed to push Vucic to the wall”, adding that all the president’s attempts to respond to the civic protests failed.

The 26th Saturday protest was held in Belgrade as usual with several speakers and the Free Serbia News performance in front of the Serbian state TV (RTS) building.

Organizers said that protests would be staged across Serbia next Saturday.