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.
What do they want to achieve on December 28?! An expert exposes the blockaders – they have only one goal
https://informer.rs/politika/vesti/1077652/blokaderi-28-decembar
At the end of a year marked by a deep political crisis in Serbia and the largest wave of student–citizen protests in the country’s contemporary history, another major nationwide action has been announced. Students have called on citizens in numerous cities to take part in the action “Call the Victory” on December 28.
Students have announced activities for December 28 that include collecting citizens’ signatures. As stated, the goal is to prepare for calling early parliamentary elections, which has been their central political demand for months. Students emphasize that the core idea that day is networking with citizens and assessing the level of social support for their demands.
According to their explanation, by giving their signatures, citizens would symbolically submit a request for early elections, while the event itself is not defined as a classic protest, but rather as a form of civic engagement.
Ahead of the major activities of the protest movement, pro-government media are promoting narratives aimed at delegitimizing the movement and portraying it as a generator of destabilization. The most widely circulated pro-regime tabloid, Informer, stands out in this type of reporting. Three articles from this outlet are illustrative, presenting the announced gathering as part of a broader, coordinated, and foreign-funded action aimed at destabilizing the state.
In the article titled “We Reveal: Foreign Money for the Blockaders’ ‘Signature Collection’ on December 28,” Informer directly questions the authenticity of the student initiative. It states that “data indicate that serious and organized financial support from abroad stands behind certain actions.” It further claims that “the scheme has already been tried,” and that “through certain opposition structures and non-governmental organizations, money is secured and used for logistics, mobilization, and media support of so-called spontaneous gatherings,” highlighting the “case from Bujanovac” as an allegedly illustrative example.
In the article titled “What Do They Want to Achieve on December 28?! An Expert Exposes the Blockaders – They Have Only One Goal,” the action is described as “one of many insignificant performances aimed at raising tensions and sending a message to that segment of public opinion dissatisfied with the current government not to give up.” It further claims that “this is not decided by those students in the blockade, but by others who stage these performances, pull the strings, and finance everything, both within and outside Serbia,” adding the assertion that “a new reason for raising tensions is being sought because events in Novi Pazar have failed.”
Finally, the article titled “Uroš Piper Reveals: Blockaders Prepared a Plan for Sunday, December 28” is also illustrative, presenting a kind of “forecast” that “they want incidents and fights at the stands, which they themselves, in cooperation with fake veterans, would provoke in order to present themselves as victims.” As part of the alleged plan, according to the analysis cited by Informer, it is claimed that they would “immediately write to their members of the European Parliament and demand the introduction of sanctions against Serbia,” and that “the same evening N1 would organize an emergency program with blockaders, opposition figures, and prosecutors.”
Informer’s reporting on the announced activities of December 28 fits into a recognizable pattern of pro-government media that is repeated ahead of every larger protest or gathering organized by students. Through accusations of foreign funding, claims of hidden organizers, announcements of incidents, and links to external political pressures, student protests are systematically delegitimized and portrayed as a threat to the stability of the state.
Author: Igor Mirosavljević
