Comments on: Dire week for Belgrade’s reputation http://www.belgradefvc.com/dire-week-for-belgrades-reputation The community for foreigners in Belgrade, Serbia Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:02:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: Adam http://www.belgradefvc.com/dire-week-for-belgrades-reputation/comment-page-1#comment-644 Adam Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:13:41 +0000 http://www.belgradefvc.com/?p=552#comment-644 ExUKdweller, Belgrade is extremely safe for citizens and foreigners, that's why these attacks are quite shocking and appaulling. Many foreigners, I'm sure, have been feeling less safe these days. Something I thought I would never say about Belgrade to be honest. Hopefully, there'll be no more incidents and things can get back to the way they were. ExUKdweller,

Belgrade is extremely safe for citizens and foreigners, that’s why these attacks are quite shocking and appaulling. Many foreigners, I’m sure, have been feeling less safe these days. Something I thought I would never say about Belgrade to be honest.

Hopefully, there’ll be no more incidents and things can get back to the way they were.

]]> By: ExUKdweller http://www.belgradefvc.com/dire-week-for-belgrades-reputation/comment-page-1#comment-636 ExUKdweller Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:24:04 +0000 http://www.belgradefvc.com/?p=552#comment-636 Some of this seems blown way out of proportion to me, sure the homosexual situaution is a problem that will have to be overcome should Serbia want to become part of the EU. However the recent attacks on foreigners and shootings are o worse than happen in London on a weekly basis so why is it such an appauling issue in Belgrade? I know for one thing, i'd walk anywhere in Belgrade at night quite happily and without a worry. I only wish i could say the same for my old capital! Some of this seems blown way out of proportion to me, sure the homosexual situaution is a problem that will have to be overcome should Serbia want to become part of the EU. However the recent attacks on foreigners and shootings are o worse than happen in London on a weekly basis so why is it such an appauling issue in Belgrade? I know for one thing, i’d walk anywhere in Belgrade at night quite happily and without a worry. I only wish i could say the same for my old capital!

]]> By: Sarah Correia http://www.belgradefvc.com/dire-week-for-belgrades-reputation/comment-page-1#comment-634 Sarah Correia Wed, 23 Sep 2009 07:26:31 +0000 http://www.belgradefvc.com/?p=552#comment-634 Jonathan, last year I made a presentation in a conference in Belgrade specifically about these extremist movements, where I said that despite the fact that are a small minority, I considered them extremely dangerous and a threat to serbian society and to democracy. I also stressed the fact that certain positions from respected institutions like the Serbian Ortodox Church and from conservative circles directly benefited them and why. Unfortunately, some Serbs in the audience, all of them progressive people, considered my work nothing more than anti-Serb. Others, younger, thought I was right, but still I found very discouraging that people who have a certain level of influence within the progressive circles within the Democratic Party would think that a foreigner saying what I've said could be dismissed as anti-serb. In April I was given information by a credible source that the government and BIA were making moves to tackle the problem, namely by attacking their sources of financement (an issue that I didn't have the possibility to investigate myself, but which I think is the key to uncover who is behind them). I was glad to know about that, and my source also told me that as their money was drying up, these groupuscules were shrinking and disappearing. However, this is an essential characteristic of such movements, they dissolve and reappear very easily due to their informality. If you're interested I can send you my article, which is going to be published soon in a book. Jonathan, last year I made a presentation in a conference in Belgrade specifically about these extremist movements, where I said that despite the fact that are a small minority, I considered them extremely dangerous and a threat to serbian society and to democracy. I also stressed the fact that certain positions from respected institutions like the Serbian Ortodox Church and from conservative circles directly benefited them and why.

Unfortunately, some Serbs in the audience, all of them progressive people, considered my work nothing more than anti-Serb. Others, younger, thought I was right, but still I found very discouraging that people who have a certain level of influence within the progressive circles within the Democratic Party would think that a foreigner saying what I’ve said could be dismissed as anti-serb.

In April I was given information by a credible source that the government and BIA were making moves to tackle the problem, namely by attacking their sources of financement (an issue that I didn’t have the possibility to investigate myself, but which I think is the key to uncover who is behind them). I was glad to know about that, and my source also told me that as their money was drying up, these groupuscules were shrinking and disappearing.

However, this is an essential characteristic of such movements, they dissolve and reappear very easily due to their informality. If you’re interested I can send you my article, which is going to be published soon in a book.

]]> By: jd http://www.belgradefvc.com/dire-week-for-belgrades-reputation/comment-page-1#comment-629 jd Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:04:24 +0000 http://www.belgradefvc.com/?p=552#comment-629 @GBail et al OK, I think I spoke too soon. I am starting to think that there were substantial reasons the government acted as they did. The extremists were MUCH more organised than I was giving them credit for. Reports of arms caches, rocks disguised as apples, petrol bombs hidden in drains etc. I think the most telling statement came form the Interior Minister, Ivica Dacic: "It wouldn’t just have been members of extremist organizations congregating in the streets of Belgrade, but, according to information from the intelligence services, members of the public too, who aren’t members of Obraz or the 1389 Movement,” Dačić said" http://b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2009&mm=09&dd=22&nav_id=61892 It appears that what tipped Dacic over the edge was the BIA (Internal Intelligence Service) revealing the extent of the extremists organisation, along with the prospect that the parade would be attacked not just by Obraz and 1389, but ordinary citizens. @GBail et al

OK, I think I spoke too soon.

I am starting to think that there were substantial reasons the government acted as they did. The extremists were MUCH more organised than I was giving them credit for. Reports of arms caches, rocks disguised as apples, petrol bombs hidden in drains etc.

I think the most telling statement came form the Interior Minister, Ivica Dacic:

“It wouldn’t just have been members of extremist organizations congregating in the streets of Belgrade, but, according to information from the intelligence services, members of the public too, who aren’t members of Obraz or the 1389 Movement,” Dačić said”

http://b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2009&mm=09&dd=22&nav_id=61892

It appears that what tipped Dacic over the edge was the BIA (Internal Intelligence Service) revealing the extent of the extremists organisation, along with the prospect that the parade would be attacked not just by Obraz and 1389, but ordinary citizens.

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