Ana Brnabić and Dejan Vuk Stanković visited SKC after it was abandoned by students in the blockade, who allegedly "stole 200 art objects", while "damaging and taking away" many other things. The rector of the University of Arts is asking for a fact-finding commission
Since the students who blocked the Student Cultural Center (SKC) expelled on July 22, the President of the Assembly of Serbia visited him Ana Brnabic and Minister of Education Dejan Vuk Stankovic, accompanied by some journalists and photojournalists.
Even today, as in the days after the students who blocked the SKC were expelled, representatives of the authorities had a series of criticisms and accusations against them, stating what the students allegedly stole.
After Ana Brnabić's statements, the rector of the University of Arts, Mirjana Nikolić, proposed the formation of a commission that would determine the factual situation regarding the property and archival material of the Student Cultural Center (SKC) after the student blockade of that institution that lasted since February, reports FoNet.
Students in the blockade also reacted. They posted a video on the blocked SKC's Instagram profile denying the claims of the President of the National Assembly of Serbia, Ana Brnabić, that "the blockaders from the SKC stole and took away everything they could, even what they could not use, such as the telephone switchboard."
In a post on Instagram, they point out that since they are "forbidden to enter" the premises of the Student Cultural Center and "personally show what they have brought" into the space of this institution, they will show it in a video.
View this post on Instagram
What is Brnabić accusing the students of?
As Brnabić said, the arrangement starts today SKC-and it will last for the next month. She also read a list of things she says were damaged or missing.
"A piano, 54 computers, 52 large monitors, 26 printers, five scanners, two photocopiers, 23 laptops, 22 tablets, eight televisions, two cameras, most of the music equipment, some sound and lighting equipment, two mixers, 21 office desks were damaged. Imagine someone stealing office desks, they took out the office desks, what idiots. Then, 23 office chairs, 250 black chairs, from this hall", Brnabić listed what is allegedly missing in SKC.
She added that around two hundred art objects, paintings and sculptures were missing.
"They stole two hundred art objects from the Student Cultural Center. I don't know how many people understand how many decades it has been collected and what kind of financial, material, cultural value it has for this country. That's why I think the focus of the investigation must be this, because I believe they didn't melt the sculptures, that it is somewhere around their houses, I don't know where it could be," insisted the President of the Assembly in her assertions.
She pointed out that it was "fascinating" that the students in the blockade "did not steal a single book" and concluded that "that says a lot about them."
"The doors were removed from three offices and taken away. They took and stole what they did not need, which they could not possibly use, except for some souvenir. Now imagine if such people ruled Serbia, what would be a souvenir for them, what would they steal," said the vice-president of the Serbian Progressive Party, with a rich political career in Serbia.
She also said that starting today, in the next month, citizens will be able to visit SKC and make sure that "everything that the blockaders left behind shows that they have no principles and that everything boils down to hatred, violence and thievery."
"I think it is important that we opened SKC and that it is good for citizens to come and see what Serbia would look like if the blockaders had taken over," said Brnabić during a tour of SKC.
She added that they also took away the surveillance cameras, probably so that those who stole and destroyed would not be identified, and stressed that the police should establish their identity and that those students in the blockade should be held accountable.
The Rector of the University of Arts requests the formation of a fact-finding commission
Rector of the University of Arts, Mirjana Nikolić, after Ana Brnabić's visit to SKC, proposed the formation of a Commission that would determine the factual situation about the property and archival material of SKC after the student blockade of that institution that lasted since February, reports FoNet.
"I can't believe that those young people entered the SKC to rob, desecrate, to take works of art. I assume that the SKC administration has proper inventory books and that based on them it is possible to determine all the equipment that the SKC had and to compare it with what was found in the SKC," Nikolić told FoNet.
While Brnabić accuses the students, the rector of the University of Arts says that one should refrain from prematurely drawing conclusions and making accusations.
"A commission should be created that will determine all this and come to the right facts," said Nikolić.
That commission, for the sake of objectivity, should be made up of students who managed SKC during the blockade, the administration of that institution, and representatives of the University of Arts could be involved as a mediator, says Nikolić.
"It is impossible that the students took the archive, they have no interest in them now mastering the archive. Someone else has a greater interest in the archive not existing", believes Nikolić.
Students improve SKC's image
Nikolić recalled that on July 24, after the building was returned to the hands of the official managers, the students turned to the University of the Arts with a request to be mediators in solving the problem. A large report was submitted on what was accomplished during the blockade.
"Honestly, I was surprised by the volume of program activities that they prepared. They were engaged in publishing activities, then they organized a blockade fest, bell docks, a number of different workshops, literary evenings, concerts, 103 film screenings", stated the rector.
The student also received a document about the technical equipment they received from various donors, institutions, individuals, and citizens, in order to implement their activities as best as possible.
"For example, their fellow student gave complete equipment to SKC radio, which broadcasted its program for twenty days. Now we hear about the students' misbehavior regarding what they found in SKC, that there was desecration of space, works of art. I can't say whether this is true or not, but we also have another side, which is information from the students that they received an extremely large and expensive screen for projections, lighting, cables, cards, laptops that they entered into SKC", said Nikolić.
According to the rector, students have restored and strengthened SKC's image and identity.
"Because of everything they realized and organized at SKC, the students once again felt a connection with that institution. It seems to me that this is a value that will remain as a striking proof of what young people can do with a lot of enthusiasm, without money, dedicatedly doing their work," said Nikolić.
Previous accusations against students in the blockade
"The blockaders left chaos behind", "There is complete chaos in the faculty building and the premises where the students were staying in the blockade and it takes at least four days to prepare the hygiene building for the upcoming entrance exam", "Broken inventory, stained walls and damaged equipment in the SKC" - these are just some of the allegations that could be read in the tabloids after the students were expelled from the SKC on July 22.
"After several months of blockades and raids on public institutions, the premises of the Student Cultural Center (SKC) remained completely devastated. A group of students who call themselves 'blockaders' left the building, and today the press teams, together with the Minister of Education Dejan Vuk Stanković, entered the SKC for the first time and found scenes of complete chaos," Serbia announced today.
As they further stated, "on the spot, pictures of broken inventory, stained walls and damaged equipment were recorded. SKC employees were taken aback and in shock, and what they found testified to the enormous damage caused to this cultural institution."
Previous denials by students
The students in the blockade then quickly denied the allegations that they had devastated SKC, stressing that thanks to them, cultural institutions such as this one, after a long time, finally became open to the public and got the role they deserve.
They broke into SKC in Belgrade in mid-February. They occupied it and as they stated - liberated it.
In the months that followed, they held numerous events, resided in it and "allowed the public to enter behind a door that had been locked for years."
In May, Ana Brnabić stated that the students blocking the SKC were forcing people to step on the flag of Serbia in order to enter the exhibition.
The students soon replied that the flag of Serbia was found crumpled and soiled, and as such was part of the exhibition.
The liberated SKC, unlike acting director Slavoljub Veselinović and the tabloid media, was never afraid of truth and freedom, the students of the liberated SKC stated in a statement.
"So you can see how SKC looked before the beginning of the summer program, after the break during the Vidovdan protest and the subsequent blockades, a few days before the broadcast of the film 'Tour de jour', and only a few days before the police entered and seized this building from the students." they added, posting photos.
Source: Vreme / FoNet / Blic
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