The safety of students who spend their days blocking colleges seems to be nobody's concern. Attacks on them are almost daily. What role do law enforcement play at roadblocks?
Attacks on students blocking colleges are becoming more frequent.
During the delivery of mail to victims of the fall of the canopy at the railway station in Novi Sad, in Rooseveltova street in Belgrade, a girl was injured when a car driver ran over her on the sidewalk and carried her on the roof, after which she fell on the street pavement.
A few days before this attack, another incident took place at the Faculty of Law. During the night, several persons broke into the college, who then pelted the students with glass bottles.
Six students received minor injuries.
While such incidents continue, it is certain that no one can guarantee the safety of students anymore. What is the role of those whose duty it is to work in the interest of the citizens and to ensure public order and peace? Can the police secure blockades at colleges?
Sofija Mandić from the Center for Judicial Research (CEPRIS) tells "Vreme" that the police have all obligations to protect the safety of citizens, regardless of the way in which those citizens gathered.
"The law on the police stipulates that they must protect public order and peace. There, two things are mixed up in the public eye: whether the gathering itself was registered and whether the police have an obligation to ensure people's safety at it," explains Mandić.
The law on gathering of citizens also allows for spontaneous gatherings, which includes a large number of student protests that have taken place recently. Such a gathering was also organized the day after the attack on a student of the Faculty of Law.
"In such circumstances, the police say that they have no obligation to protect students because the gathering was not reported." However, that is absolutely false. Citizens' gatherings are free and any type is allowed, and the MUP must protect the safety, lives and property of those gathered at each of them," says Mandić.
What's stopping the police?
Lawyer Marko Pantić believes that the question of the role of police in student blockades is not at all naive and simple.
"I'm not sure how this could be legally defined." Students who block colleges are committing a kind of violation of rights. Some refer to the autonomy of the University, but that autonomy refers to the fact that the faculties themselves choose the leadership and in that sense be independent from the authorities".
The founder of all state faculties is the Republic of Serbia, and because of that, claims Pantić, and because of that there is a certain amount of responsibility towards the state.
"Because of all that, the students at the blockades are taking the risk of bearing certain consequences for the sake of their goal. The police could provide blockades, but the question is whether they would want to", he emphasizes.
We must not forget that the police is the only legal force through which the state uses the monopoly of physical coercion. In this sense, the police could, as they secure the announced protests, do the same for blockades.
"But that would be a bit hypocritical for them." They still personify every regime".
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