Students go against Vuciqi in Belgrade

This time, according to Serbian media, protesters have joined Belgrade students. This is the third week since protesters have articulated a key request by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

Protests were held with the motto “One of five million”, which was prompted by the Serbian president's statements last year, which had said it would not bow down to any demands even if against it came five million people.

Protesters are accusing Vucin of violating democratic freedoms, suppressing political opponents and controlling the media. However, he has denied all these charges.

Over the course of nine weeks, Serbia's roads have been flooded by dozens of protesters, who, in turn, call for completion of what they call Alexander Vuciqi's authorities in media control, writes Al Yazerra in a report dedicated to these events in Serbia, broadcast Periscope.

Under the banners -- one in five million, Serbian protesters -- have responded to a comment by the Serbian president, who had declared that even if five million people were to get out on the streets, he could not give up their” demands.

“These protests are the logical consequence of all the accumulated negative energy and dangerous dissatisfaction also accumulated under the leadership of Vuciqi”, says Independent Journalists Association Vice President in Serbia Zeljko Bodrozic, for Al Jazeran.

“Citizens have seen that after decades under Vuciki's regime, the history of the 1990s when he served as Information Minister for former President Slobodan Milosevic is repeating itself. We no longer live under the hysteria of war, but Vuchic practices the same policy only in one sense and another”, he continues.

“Protesters want Serbian Radio Television not to be a state television and to take on more public role with a focus on all social groups, and, even if it criticises the Serbian government, to take its place in public. Vuciq knows very well that capture of the media is one thing that suits his government very well and I think that's one of the greatest reasons he has caught the media to this extent. I ask why we don't have programs that criticize Vuciqi and see why most news reports spread are common and manipulating propaganda”, says Tanja Maksic from BIRN for Al Jazeera.

For Vreme's executive director, Philip Swarm, it is interesting that the European Union cares more about stability in Serbia than about media freedom in this country.

For the EU, it's only interesting to keep standing like this: we don't shoot Vuciqi. (For the EU) it is more important that we not be at war with our neighbors. While freedoms guaranteeing democracy, human rights and media freedom are not as interesting in”, he says.