Several members of the Together political organization were detained Sunday evening in the city of Novi Sad for spray-painting messages on the pavement and refusing to identify themselves to the police, following which they were released on their own recognizance, co-president of the Together political organization Biljana Stojkovic wrote on Twitter.

The activists spray-painted on the pavement in central Novi Sad the message Put Up Your Guard, Defend the City as part of the action for collecting petition signatures against the erecting of a Monument to Innocent Victims of 1944/45.

A greater part of the Novi Sad public and opposition members oppose this monument because the list of victims includes persons convicted as war criminals and collaborators of the occupiers in World War II.

“Our activists wrote graffiti on the pavement and handed out leaflets, and then they were arrested. I am sending a message to the police in this city that they will have big protests if anything happens to the activists and that they should not toy with people,” Stojkovic said.

The Together political organization said that their activists in Novi Sad were arrested “at the command” of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS).