Calls for lynching and expulsion, stoning of the bakery... All this is happening these days in Surdulica after the traffic accident a man of Serbian nationality (40) was killed.
U accidents on Monday (February 9), the driver of the Mercedes (20), of Albanian nationality, whose family is now being hunted, took part.
In the Viber group "Justice for Rastka", which currently has almost six members, calls for the expulsion of the Albanian family from Surdulica are shared and protests are organized. And all this with the support of a minister without portfolio News from Tončevo who wrote in the group that "he is with his people from Surdulica, because he lives there".
Photo: PrintskrinCorrespondence in the Viber group
Police the administration in Surdulica invited some protest participants for an informative interview, but it is not known that anyone was detained.
"In my messages, there is not a single word about revenge and there is not a single letter about anyone's national or other affiliation," Tonchev says for "Vreme".
He says that he advocates that tragedies do not go unpunished and that the authorities do their job responsibly.
"As you know, in Viber groups on every topic, individuals tend to write in order to attract attention, some are more extreme in writing for personal reasons. And I sent the messages in order for the institutions to do their job," Tonchev added.
However, there are no indications that the institutions will not do their job - the young man involved in the accident is in custody.
Violent protests
This is not enough for many citizens. They gathered on Wednesday (February 11) in front of a bakery associated with a relative of the Mercedes driver and pelted her with oysters and eggs.
In the recordings with protest shouts of "drive them out" and "shoot" are heard. According to a resident of Surdulica, the citizens also gathered in front of this family's house, disturbing the children. He also states that they also damaged their car on that occasion.
"Anyone who opposes becomes the target of the attack. They agreed to throw eggs at those who buy bread in that bakery. This morning they filmed people going to the bakery with their phones," he said.
In correspondence with the members of this group, Tončev wrote: "Our bakery should be working, it has the most beautiful bread and pastry, and the municipality is now helping them with a million dinars to survive," probably referring to the bakery in Surdulica, which has been privatized. This was followed by supportive comments from group members such as "our minister" and "minister of the word", as well as messages that they were not wrong to add him to the group.
Photo: PrintskrinCorrespondence in the Viber group
Anyone who opposes becomes a target
A student of the University of Belgrade from Surdulica condemned the attack on an Albanian family on social networks, after which a photo of him with a girlfriend was shared in the Viber group. The same group also wrote about the mother of this student, who also condemned violence against the family on the networks, with the message that the owner of the bakery is not guilty and that it is wrong to ask for the closure of the bakery, as well as that if "a Serb killed a Serb", everything would only end with a prison sentence.
A young man who allegedly transported an Albanian family to safety that day was also targeted.
There are also officials in the Viber group that openly calls for violence and persecution Serbian Progressive Party i Socialist Party of Serbia, local municipal secretaries and directors.
Photo: PrintskrinCorrespondence in the Viber group
One citizen says that a family is being lynched, just because they are of Albanian nationality.
"The boy who caused the accident is in custody. The bakery in front of which they gathered is not owned by the driver, but by a relative. The police stood by when they threw eggs at the restaurant and pushed containers. Anyone who opposes this becomes a target of violence."
"I don't know the man at all," she continues, "but I can see that they want to expel him just because he is of Albanian nationality. Rastka, who died in a traffic accident, should of course be mourned and condoled with. The consequence of this behavior may be that National Minorities they feel unsafe in Serbia."
