The authorities are on the offensive against journalists and the media.

Yesterday's "war against the media and journalists" was initiated by the President of the National Assembly of Serbia, Ana Brnabić, who accused the Fonet agency at a press conference of calling for the assassination of the President of Serbia by transmitting a statement from lawyer Boža Prelević. Although Fonet did not publish what was attributed to it, a false news item was disseminated from one of the most powerful positions in Serbia. In an atmosphere of daily attacks on journalists, this represents an open marking of targets not only for employees of this agency but also for all other journalists who are routinely called out by government representatives—this has become a pattern for their demonization and dehumanization. Daily, "arrows are being aimed" at journalists and the media.

The first physical attack on a journalist and working equipment occurred in Novi Sad when Zoran Strika, the deputy editor of Radio 021, was attacked while performing his job, reporting on citizens' departure for an SNS rally in Belgrade. During this incident, two young men knocked down a Novi Sad resident who was recording the event with his mobile phone. While he was on the ground, they hit him, stole his phone, and threw it into the Danube.

Seeing that journalist Strika had recorded the entire event, another young man physically attacked him, attempting to seize the phone by holding him by the arm and neck, continuing the assault even after Strika emphasized that he was a journalist. Although the editor of Radio 021 requested the present director of the Provincial Fund for European Affairs and Development to prevent this attack, there was no response. However, Strika managed to free himself and call the police, and together with the attacked Novi Sad resident, they moved away from the attack site. While they awaited the police, they were attacked by three young men in hoods. They intended to seize the phone that the journalist had borrowed from a fellow citizen to call his wife. This stolen phone was also thrown into the Danube with the obvious intent to destroy evidence of the violence perpetrated by that group. Such attacks on a journalist's body and property, along with the destruction of evidence, clearly indicate a policy aimed at abolishing freedom of speech and making it as difficult as possible for journalists to work in a profession that should protect and promote the public interest through objective reporting. In this intent, the authorities evidently do not shy away from using the phalanxes in black uniforms with hoods and masks for that purpose.

At the large rally "We Will Not Give Up Serbia," organized by the SNS in Belgrade, a KTV television crew was attacked while covering events on the ground, including conversations between Nemanja Šarović and the gathered citizens. After a series of insults and threats from individuals dressed as security personnel, among whom were recognizable leading figures from public enterprises and state institutions, they were pelted with plastic bottles, doused with water, pushed, shoved, and struck, including members of the journalistic team, among them Danijel Radić, the director of KTV from Zrenjanin. While the police watched this helplessly, a physical attack also occurred on cameraman Siniša Nikšić, who was struck in the nose and whose camera and other equipment were damaged. The police present only reacted after the physical attack by surrounding the journalistic team and prohibiting them from continuing their reporting due to an inability to guarantee their safety.

Instead of sanctioning the perpetrators, journalistic work was obstructed with a policeman stating that they had reported enough. The team was prevented from moving until the rally concluded and the participants dispersed. This directly endangered safety, attacked the body and property, and compounded the issue by preventing the performance of their job and unlawfully detaining the KTV journalistic team.

The third case of attack occurred in Čačak while TV Nova S journalist Nebojša Jovanović was preparing a report on the departure of Čačak citizens to the SNS rally in Belgrade. The President of the Čačak Municipal Assembly, Igor Trifunović, attempted to prevent the recording of this public event through aggressive behavior, which motivated one of the assailants to try to stop the filming by attempting to damage the camera, pushing the cameraman, and seizing and throwing the microphone to the ground. In this case as well, the police intervened only afterwards.

During journalistic activities in Niš, the safety of journalist Srđan Nonić from the Niška Inicijativa portal was compromised while he was attempting to perform his journalistic duties by reporting on the preparations for the departure of participants to the Belgrade rally. Nonić received multiple verbal threats and was struck with a bottle by a "masked group that was unofficial security." In Niš, the pattern of attacks seen in Novi Sad repeated itself as one citizen photographed the informal security, who then targeted him and his vehicle.

The escalation of conflict was only prevented after the police intervened.

A television crew from Al Jazeera was prevented from filming the rally from a balcony of a building near the National Assembly of Serbia, which is yet another example of media being obstructed from doing their work. This overview of attacks and threats directed at journalists and media workers in several cities is very concerning as it comes from the highest government bodies, directors of public enterprises, and heads of republican institutions, as well as street thugs who enjoy the protection of the police and other government bodies that should protect, not incite an atmosphere of hatred and violence against the media. If this negative trend continues, it could have unimaginable consequences, and therefore all perpetrators must be prosecuted. Otherwise, the impunity of attacks on journalists will lead to unwanted escalation in a time of tension and societal polarization.