How Pionirski Park Became a "Forbidden City" for Professional Journalists
The occupied Pioneer Park in Belgrade and the area on the street in front of the National Assembly of Serbia, judging by the number of attacks on journalists and the obstruction of their work, seem to have become a "forbidden city."
The KTV team and Nemanja Šarović were prevented from filming and talking to those who occupy the space. In addition to insults and being doused with coffee, his microphone was forcibly taken from him. Although present, the police did not protect the team. On the contrary, they requested that they leave the park. When the KTV team refused, intending to continue filming their report, the police physically intervened, forcibly taking Šarović to a car and then to the police station, from where he was transferred to the Emergency Center due to health issues.
Instead of protecting him, the police are set to file a complaint against the KTV team for violating public order and peace, specifically for indecent, rude, and disrespectful behavior.
A few days later, Šarović was detained at the police station for filming a report about unregistered tractors set up around the park, questioning the police officers present in Pioneer Park about what they would do regarding this issue. Instead of an answer, a complaint was filed for obstructing official persons.
For the third time, when he attempted to film a report, his phone was violently snatched from him, and once again, the police did not react.
Miodrag Sovilj, a journalist for N1, along with a cameraman, attempted to film a report when an unknown man in the park told him he was not allowed to do so. When he asked the police officers present if this was true, they replied that they were not aware of that and that the park is a public space. However, when he tried to continue filming, the same unknown man prevented him from doing so.
On March 15, an Insider TV journalist was prevented from filming what was happening in the park. The same occurred with another N1 journalist.
The Nova S TV crew was denied entry to the park, accompanied by insulting messages and threats.
An Insider journalist was attacked while filming tents set up on the street in front of the park and when she wanted to create a report about it.
Irena Stević and her Insider team were stopped by three unknown men, who appeared very aggressive, preventing her from filming a report in the park. The police passively observed this event, protecting the aggressors in their intent.
The editor of Kosseva was prevented from filming by an unknown young man who emerged from a tent and obstructed her in the presence of the police.
An Insider TV journalist was attacked by aggressors from that forbidden area.
The President of the ANEM Management Board, Veran Matić, stated for Danas that precisely because of the violence against journalists by those in the Park, there have not been many attempts to report from this public space, as there would surely be even more cases of attacks on journalists.
"This kind of camp was created for specific reasons, not the often-cited ones that it's a place for students who want to learn. Certainly, one purpose is to intimidate and threaten students and citizens who have been protesting for six months and to prevent any potential protest in front of the Assembly or the Presidency building. This is best illustrated by the fact that the police protect the aggressors while pursuing those who are doing their journalistic job in the desire to inform themselves about what is happening in the park, on the playground, and near cultural monuments that citizens, tourists, and journalists, of course, and children, can no longer approach," Matić emphasized for Danas.
According to him, it is very important to prevent the possibility that all of Serbia one day becomes like this forbidden space in the center of the capital.
"With these attacks and bans on journalists' access, violence against journalists is being normalized, and along with the toxic statements of leading politicians, discrediting, and insulting journalists and media, a combustible mixture is created that will only increase the number of attacks on journalists and restrict their work. Journalists' associations and media associations must collectively demand from the relevant institutions, primarily the police and the prosecution, to enable journalists to work freely in this space," stated the President of the ANEM Management Board in a statement for Danas.
**Source: [bezbedninovinari.rs](https://bezbedninovinari.rs/article/988/veran-matic-o-tome-kako-je-pionirski-park-postao-zabranjeni-grad-za-profesionalne-novinare)**
