One photo, taken during a protest in Serbia, completely convinced me that the key factor of change in our country at this moment is women. They represent the most important difference between the two confronted social groups, roughly speaking supporters and opponents of the Vučić regime. That's why it seems to me that the photo of this woman in her mature years, with a jogger handle in her hands, being brutally beaten by a policeman in armor, is a sign that the Vučić regime is in serious crisis. The statement of the MUP shows gender blindness because Vileda's handle became a metal bar, and the lady attacked Vučić with her work tool, as Koštunica said. There have always been some girls among the demonstrators in the front lines, you remember the brave Belgrade girl Dragana, who stood in front of the water cannon at the demonstration on March 9, 1991.
In the videos of the protests today, as well as in the student protests, women are absolutely equal to men. The participation of young women was especially noticeable, which is an important and symbolically powerful phenomenon. I think that the tragedy in Novi Sad initiated the rebellion, becoming a symbol of a completely careless state. The deaths of young women due to poor infrastructure and the negligence of institutions was seen as an extreme example of how incapable or uninterested the government is in ensuring the basic security of citizens. Many young women identified with the victims - "that could have been me" - and this triggered a strong emotional and political reaction. In fact, the sense of security, which is an important political factor in a society, has been destroyed.
Young women in Serbia are increasingly taking leadership roles in civic movements, because they do not feel that they are represented well enough by either the government or the opposition. This is an important message, because in political parties in Serbia, women are very often decorum, while the political space, thanks to conservatism and traditionalism, is considered, publicly or tacitly, "male".
The tragedy occurred in a system where responsibility is diffused and power functions through a male, closed hierarchy of power without empathy or accountability. For many, the protests were an opportunity to express resistance to the entire system, not just one event. Young people, and especially young women, are very connected through social networks. Information about protests, calls for gatherings, personal stories - all this spreads quickly and encourages more mass participation, especially among those who have not been politically engaged before. This is especially true in a society where you don't have free media, television, so you need to actively search for relevant information. The participation of a large number of women in protests is not just a reaction to one case, but an expression of deep dissatisfaction with a system that does not protect, listen and respect citizens. They are no longer the "silent majority" - they are the face of change, determined not to allow such events to pass without responsibility.
Some of those faces, of which I am proud, I will describe to you, but without names, because they are still very active. There is LJ. a pensioner from the blocks, from the first day at the blocks, she made rolls for students and the Rebel University in Nemanjina. He defends the Sava embankment, and he is able to calm down any policeman at protests, because in two sentences he finds out who he is, whose he is and where he is from. A serious psychological weapon!
Teacher S. stopped the protest only when she got sick. They had to hide her in front of every cordon, sticking stickers on the visors of armored policemen. Once, she narrowly missed her husband through a roadblock when he was going to work. My dear A., also an educator, trade unionist, neighbor T., a professor at Medicinsko, they have not received a salary since March, but they worked for patients and were with their students. B. injured her knee, but from rehabilitation straight to the protest, she swallowed tear gas yesterday. P. just came of age, blockaded her gymnasium with the team, D. from the legal team, at all protests disguised as a neighbor who walks home, unmistakably recognizes the provocateurs. I could do this until tomorrow.
That's probably why Vučić's darkest ventriloquist, Vojislav Šešelj, said in one of his appearances in front of the host in the studio that he would never hit a woman with his hand, but that's why the police should kick and stomp on them. He got really mad at those "crazy women", as he called them, intuitively sensing where Vučić was in danger. Apparently they listened to him.
In all the videos, you always see typical guys, younger men in black, in macho fashion, criminals or hooligans, then the police, again armored guys, all hero to hero, and then a colorful team of street demonstrators, with some kind of handy equipment, helmets, backpacks and among them women of all ages, in the front rows - shaking police shields or pushing containers and building barricades. These are educators, students, medical workers, mothers, sisters, girlfriends and grandmothers. Particularly dangerous are the kevas who, during the student protests, looked at all the children there as if they were their own, and God forbid you find yourself between an angry keva and her child. Among the victims of violence were first those beautiful "beaver" female students who maintained order at the protests, and who were run over by various madmen with cars or had their jaws broken with baseball bats while they were pasting posters.
That's why in the end I believe that, just like at the end of the marathon saga of Lord of the Rings, the Prince of Darkness will come exactly - women, who are the bearers of change and a new, important political factor in Serbia.
