Vucic after the protest: Over 35 thugs arrested

“Arrests of thugs and bullies continue across the city and this operation will not end. Some are being identified right now, all of them will be detained during the night and in the morning,” Vucic told the pro-regime Pink TV on Sunday evening following a National Security Council meeting.

He said an attempt was made on Sunday evening to “forcibly occupy state institutions,” adding there is evidence that everything had been prepared in advance.

“We have hard evidence for that and we will not give up on it. The state will react and I am certain that the prosecution and relevant authorities will react precisely in accordance with the Constitution and laws of our country. No one has the right to destroy our house, the property of our country and citizens, let alone to cause serious injuries to our police officers,” said Vucic.

He added that head of the Bureau for the Coordination of Security Services Ivica Dacic has scheduled this body’s meeting for 3 pm Monday.

Earlier in the evening, reacting to the protests outside the Belgrade City Assembly building and Republic Election Commission offices, Vucic said “there is no revolution going on in Belgrade.”

“They will not succeed, and we have to do our best, with a calm reaction, not to hurt demonstrators,” he said.

He said a total of 2,490 people assembled at the Sunday protest.

“Right now, there are 1,195 people there, including those who are trying to break into the City Assembly. At the same time, I want to say that some showed their true face, that violence is their only way they fight against political opponents,” Vucic said in a public address.

“We have been saying for days that they are preparing for this, and we also warned the foreign factor, many pretended to be naive, they did not want to hear or see what was being prepared. Our intelligence services reacted in a timely manner and knew exactly what the thugs were preparing. We will not let them destroy our country, thousands of calls came from people who wanted to come to Belgrade to defend our institutions. We ask them not. The country is strong enough, the institutions can defend Serbia and Belgrade,” Vucic stressed.

“Rioters and thugs will be brought to justice,” he said.

A few minutes before the police dispersed the protesters who had gathered in front of the Belgrade City Assembly, Vucic posted on Instagram a photo of himself eating apples.

“Moments of rest in the Presidency. It is important to preserve peace, arrest the thugs and secure the future for our children. I want you, dear friends, to know that I am always at my workplace and ready to protect the country’s stability, I call for restraint, but also for the unequivocal preservation of the state. Of our Serbia. One and only,” Vucic wrote on Instagram.