Police Arrests Attackers on Peaceful Anti-Fascist Gathering

Radio B92

Four persons were injured yesterday in Novi Sad, in an altercation erupting when a group of about 30 members of neo-nazi organizations attacked the citizens that participated in an anti-fascist gathering on the main city square.

After the end of the gathering, the citizens started to walk towards the Danube Docks, when they were attacked by a group of about 30 members of �Nacionalni stroj�, Serbian neo-nazi organization, who waited for the gathering to come at the Army Hall in Novi Sad.

Pavel Domonji, the head of the Novi Sad Office of the Helsinki Committee, received a hit on the head with a stone and was taken to the local hospital.

The Police arrested Goran Davidovic, the leader of Nacionalni stroj, and about 20 members of the organization. In addition, the Police in Novi Sad and Belgrade apprehended a number of Slovakian and Bulgarian citizens who carried on them fascist propaganda and concealed weapons, reported the Ministry of Interior.

Representatives of political parties that participated in the gathering demanded explanation from the Serbian Minister of Defense Dragan Sutanovac and Army Chief of Staff Zdravko Ponos, about the fact that the attackers gathered in a military facility.

They also demanded resignation from Minister of Interior Dragan Jocic, who failed to ban the neo-nazi gathering and, more importantly, �promised that there will be no incidents in Novi Sad during the anti-fascist rally�.

The yesterday�s altercation was strongly condemned by Dragoljub Ackovic, Member of the World Roma Parliament, and Suzana Grubjesic, G17 Plus Member of Parliament, who asked why didn�t the official representatives of the state institutions and officials of the other ruling parties join the gathering.