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.
Two minutes of violence by the blockers in Valjevo – This is what Serbia would look like if terrorists were in power
https://informer.rs/politika/vesti/1044279/blokaderi-teroristi-valjevo-nasilje
Student and civic protests in Serbia have been ongoing for more than ten months, representing the greatest challenge yet to the thirteen-year rule of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). During the summer, the protest wave experienced fluctuations, but the overall tempo did not weaken to the extent expected by the regime.
Violent acts and incidents carried out by members or supporters of the ruling SNS against citizens in several smaller towns in mid-August reignited a new cycle of larger gatherings in support of and solidarity with the protest movement. During subsequent demonstrations in Belgrade, Novi Sad, and Valjevo, there were several clashes between citizens and the police, accompanied by excessive use of force by the police—harshly criticized by human rights organizations.
Footage of police brutality against individuals on the streets of Valjevo, some of whom were minors, sparked strong outrage among the opposition public and calls for a mass protest in the city. On August 17, a large gathering was organized in Valjevo. The central march, attended by people from various parts of the country, proceeded peacefully until escalation followed. A small group of individuals attacked the premises of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party in Valjevo with stones and pyrotechnics, also damaging the prosecutor’s office and court buildings. The police then intervened and dispersed the protest.
Pro-regime media intensively reported on the events in Valjevo, promoting narratives portraying the protests as exclusively violent and framing them as alleged terrorist acts by citizens—referred to increasingly often as “blockers.” The leading pro-regime tabloid Informer spearheaded this style of reporting.
Illustrative is an article titled “Take a Good Look: Two Minutes of Violence by the Blockers in Valjevo – This Is What Serbia Would Look Like if Terrorists Were in Power.” Using highly inappropriate and radicalizing language, Informer accused citizens of being “terrorists… (who) attempted to provoke a bloody civil war.” Similarly, in other articles Informer dangerously and groundlessly claimed that “the blockers have launched an open war.”
Within this wave of propagandistic reporting, another Informer article stood out, claiming that “the blockers will stop at nothing, they care neither for citizens’ safety nor law and order… their only goal is destruction and intimidation, and the consequences of their actions are visible everywhere they pass.”
Baseless generalizations by pro-regime media contribute to an atmosphere of polarization and radicalization in Serbia. The activities and rhetoric of the authorities and their affiliated media in recent months have been directed at stigmatizing the protest movement—drawing on isolated incidents that occurred only after earlier escalations triggered by regime supporters.
Author: Igor Mirosavljević
