As part of the program Regional Initiative for combating disinformation “Western Balkans Combatting disinformation Center: Exposing malicious influences through fact-checking and Analytical Journalism“, we present you a new analysis of fake news and disinformation narratives.
Banner “Better Ćaci than Naci” appears on Niš Fortress: Citizens wholeheartedly support Miloš Pavlović
https://informer.rs/politika/vesti/1023495/transparent-nis-studenti
The beginning of June was marked by disturbing reports of an alleged physical assault on student Miloš Pavlović, publicly known by the nickname “Glavni Ćaci” (“Main Ćaci”). Pavlović is a prominent representative of the informal group “Students Who Want to Study,” whose members have been gathering and protesting for months in Pionirski Park, a location symbolically named “Ćaciland.” A student at the University of Belgrade’s Faculty of Medicine, Pavlović has become one of the most recognizable faces of student activism in Serbia, especially given the open support he receives from Serbian government officials and the corresponding media exposure on national television.
According to his account, the incident occurred in the evening at the Student City campus, where he was sitting in a café with two fellow students. A crowd gathered outside the café, expressing disapproval of his presence, shouting insults, and demanding that he come outside. When he did, he was doused with water, shoved, and—according to Pavlović—physically assaulted. He then went to the Emergency Center, from where he gave an emotional public statement. At the time, he was accompanied by Health Minister Zlatibor Lončar, who personally came to offer his support.
Visibly shaken, Pavlović tearfully made serious accusations: “I was subjected to a brutal physical assault… we came face to face with the true face of fascism. Violence has become their ideology, violence is their program,” he said, describing how he and his friends were hit in the face, stomach, and back. He claimed they were knocked to the ground and that he barely managed to get away. He particularly emphasized the emotional significance of Student City for him, saying he had spent years of his education there, had come to visit old friends and even the doorman “Uncle Bora,” and never expected to be attacked in such a familiar environment.
However, part of the public responded with skepticism toward Pavlović’s dramatic portrayal of the incident, pointing out that comparing being doused with water and pushed around to a “fascist attack” was deeply problematic and inappropriate. The very next day, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić also spoke out, having met with Pavlović and delivered a strong message: “Better Ćaci than Naci! The state will no longer tolerate violence. Serbia will win!”
That same narrative was echoed by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Ana Brnabić, who stated during an appearance on Happy TV: “I urge Serbia to raise its voice even louder against these Nazi, fascist phalanges. Because this is no longer the song ‘Who doesn’t jump is Ćaci,’ now it’s ‘Who jumps is a Nazi.’” With such statements from the country’s top officials, a clear narrative is being constructed—one that portrays the group of students from Pionirski Park as victims of extremism, while simultaneously ignoring the broader context of the protests and the legitimacy of the demands made by the students who are blocking classes.
Such an approach sparked strong reactions, as the government—despite the spectacular institutional and media attention surrounding the controversial incident in Student City—continues to ignore earlier cases of far more serious violence against students. To recall, in late January in Novi Sad, during a student blockade in front of the Serbian Progressive Party’s office, a female student had her jaw broken with a baseball bat. Four attackers are currently in custody, yet President Vučić recently referred to these same individuals as “heroes,” while SNS president and Minister of Defense Miloš Vučević even announced a possible blockade of the court should their detention be extended.
In this context, a serious question arises regarding selective institutional protection: how is it possible that the state reacts strongly to a case of water being thrown and brings in the Minister of Health to support one student, while remaining silent or downplaying incidents of severe physical violence against others—simply because they are not part of a government-approved narrative?
Author: Nataša Stanojević
