SNS and Radicals Call Rally in Novi Sad on October 16
The SNS Podbara branch named the day and place, and the Radicals urged members to back list number 1. Benches and lighting were removed from Freedom Square to make room for a stage.
A rally on Freedom Square in Novi Sad is set for Friday, October 16, and two organizers spoke publicly about it today. The Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) Podbara branch announced on Instagram that the rally takes place on the square that day, while the Serbian Radical Party (SRS) called on its members to join.
Until now the party had spoken about the rally only in general terms. Radomir Hadzibabic, a candidate on the United Serbia electoral list, said the Progressives would hold a “magnificent” rally in Novi Sad by the end of the week, but gave neither a place nor a day. The Spens arena, mentioned as a possible venue, told the portal 021 at the time that it had no signed lease and no registered event. Today the location was confirmed, and it is the square.
What did SNS Podbara and the Radicals announce?
The Instagram invitation reads: “We invite all citizens, members and supporters of the Serbian Progressive Party to join us at a big rally”. The previous evening, Tuesday, October 13, the official SNS Instagram accounts also posted, calling on citizens to send a joint message of unity, progress and a stable future for Serbia.
The Radicals invited members, supporters and “all Serbian patriots” to gather on Friday by the monument to Svetozar Miletic and Jasa Tomic, in support of electoral list number 1, “Aleksandar Vucic - United Serbia”. They say they have their own candidates on that list. The SRS statement says:
For Serbia to survive as an independent, sovereign and free state, a convincing victory of this electoral list is necessary, a list in which we sincerely believe, on which we have our own candidates, and which we support with all our hearts and all our strength
The statement ends with the sentence: “On Friday in Novi Sad, beside the monuments of the great Svetozar Miletic and Jasa Tomic, Serbia sends a message united and of freedom”. The quote is reproduced as published.
Where is the stage and when does the rally start?
No start time has been officially announced. According to unofficial accounts, the rally should begin at either 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. Preparations have begun regardless: on Tuesday, October 13, benches and lighting were removed from Freedom Square to clear space for a stage, a sound system and other equipment.
According to 021, this would be the first SNS rally in Novi Sad since the canopy collapse.
What came before the announcement?
This is not the first rally announced for the city. According to Vreme, Vucic said on October 5 that a big rally was expected in Novi Sad, larger than the one held in Belgrade’s Arena, and that it could be held on Freedom Square. Milos Vucevic, the formal SNS president and a candidate on the list, said earlier that Novi Sad would host “the biggest rally and gathering that no one will be able to ban”.
Vreme also recalls that Vucic visits to Novi Sad announced by the SNS have not always happened. The latest such case was a rally planned for September 4, which Vucic canceled himself, citing security reasons and saying that human lives matter more to him than a party rally.
How did the Citizens’ Assemblies react?
The Citizens’ Assemblies of Novi Sad also responded to the announcement. They posted on social media that on Friday the people of Novi Sad will “send a message to the mafia” and that they will share details later. What exactly they plan is not yet known.
Elections are called for October 25, and the blog Masina reports in its pre-election coverage that today is day 35 of the campaign. The same blog notes that Vucic held a rally in Zajecar and that the “Student List” has a rally in Aleksinac on Friday.
