Citizens block police attempt to arrest Ecological Uprising leader

Local residents organized through New Belgrade community assemblies, concerned about the safety of the Sava embankment, gathered again on Wednesday in New Belgrade’s Block 45, next to the Sava embankment. They were attempting to prevent what they call illegal digging and installation of electrical cables intended to supply electricity to rafts on the Sava River.

The digging continued on Wednesday, this time with assistance from both regular and riot police.

There were several incidents, and police attempted to arrest MP Jovanovic, who had joined the citizens, but residents prevented his detention.

One of the officers repeatedly claimed that Jovanovic had “pushed a female police officer.”

“It doesn’t matter whether I’m a member of parliament - I am a citizen. Just like all these people here are citizens. These people didn’t come to someone’s doorstep to dig here, excavate through the neighborhood, creating illegal channels. But this crew here did,” he said, pointing to the police.