"Meetings 'against blockades' as gatherings against journalists."

In a statement given to NUNS, Pešić said that after the protest ended, a group of people in civilian clothes attacked him and his colleagues. Following them, uniformed individuals arrived, who roughly knocked him to the ground. Police officers attempted to seize his phone, but they were unsuccessful because he had handed the phone to his colleagues. The footage released on student accounts clearly shows the rough actions of the police, along with a female voice shouting that Pešić has a press credential.

Pešić stated that the reason given for his detention was that he started to run. However, he believes the real reason lies in the fact that he recorded the police's activities. He recounted that his camera was temporarily confiscated at the station. They removed the memory card from it, examined the recorded material in a separate room out of his sight, and deleted a portion without his consent. He was informed that he could not contact his lawyer during the first four hours of his detention. They formally did not inform him of the charges against him or the reasons for his detention, and as he noted, the police unsuccessfully attempted to obtain a warrant from the prosecutor for the seizure of equipment. He was released because the prosecutor concluded that there were no elements of a criminal offense warranting prosecution ex officio.

While Pešić was at the police station, a number of citizens gathered in solidarity, wishing to express their dissatisfaction with the police's actions. Photojournalist Gavrilo Andrić, who was reporting from the scene, was legitimized without being given a specific reason for this action.

The professional community reacted to the detention of Luka Pešić.

In the database maintained by the SafeJournalists network, the legitimization of Gavrilo Andrić was recorded as pressure on media workers.

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Tamara Stojanović, a journalist from TV N1, was physically prevented from reporting from one of the “protests against blockades.” After asking Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić why he decided to attend the event, her microphone was first pushed away, and then she was shoved by an unknown man, while an unknown woman hit her with a fan. The incident was captured by a TV N1 camera, as the journalist was live on air.

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At one of the protests organized in Belgrade, Jovana Trošić, a journalist from the student information portal Puls generacije, was denied the right to pass by the police cordon and report from the area designated for journalists.

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The Association of Journalists of Serbia announced that members of the Gendarmerie did not allow journalist Staša Keneški from Vojnet production to move freely while reporting from the protest in Novi Sad. The incident occurred in the Slana Bara neighborhood. The journalist was told she was prohibited from approaching a group of citizens because she was not wearing a press vest. Before the prohibition was issued, the Gendarmerie member grabbed her arm, pushed her, and instructed her to obey orders. During this time, Staša Keneški held her UNS credential and identified herself as a journalist. The police officer released her after she reiterated her capacity on the field.

Improper Parking and Proper Parking

The KTV journalistic team was obstructed several times during their live reporting from the “Protest Against Blockades.” At the very beginning, the police requested that they distance themselves from the gathered members and supporters of the Serbian Progressive Party. Later on, Nemanja Šarović, the leader of the “Love, Faith, Hope” movement and KTV reporter, was asked to repark his car, which they deemed improperly parked. Šarović pointed out that the vehicle was not in his ownership. Although the police officer insisted on his request, Šarović did not cease reporting.

After the live segment concluded, Danijel Radić, the owner and director of KTV and the owner of the mentioned car, and Nemanja Šarović went to the vehicle. There, they were met by a large number of police officers. Šarović stated on camera that among them were the head of traffic police, three inspectors, and nine uniformed personnel, and that a police van and two official vehicles were parked near Radić’s car.

According to Šarović's statements made on his social media accounts, the police attempted for hours to seize Radić’s vehicle. As announced by the KTV editorial office, the individual who reparked the vehicle was subjected to 48-hour detention on suspicion of committing the criminal offense of Assault on an Official in the Performance of Official Duties. Šarović denied the allegations of committing a criminal offense and emphasized that the main goal of the police was to confiscate the vehicle belonging to the director of KTV. Via Instagram, Šarović informed the public that during the night, a police patrol was stationed in front of Radić's house, where his pregnant wife and ten-month-old baby were present.

The Association of Independent Electronic Media condemned the police's actions and reminded of the attacks that journalists from KTV have already been subjected to.

More information on the attacks against KTV and the pressures the editorial team faces can be found in the Media Scene Monitoring in the Republic of Serbia for the months of March and April 2025.

This text is part of the Media Scene Monitoring in Serbia for September 2025.