BELGRADE – Shortly after 10:00 in downtown Belgrade, gunshots were heard in front of the National Assembly, in an area that has been occupied by government supporters since March, colloquially known as “Ćacilend.” One of the tents set up in the area was on fire.
The attacker, a 70-year-old pensioner, was arrested soon after shooting and injuring one person. The victim was hit in the leg, and Health Minister Zlatibor Lončar stated that they sustained serious bodily injuries.
The attacker came to Ćacilend with the intention of setting the tents on fire, and the blaze broke out after he shot at one of the gas cylinders inside a tent. Following the gunshot, a person standing in front of the tent was hit.
At the time of the attack, a regular session of the National Assembly of Serbia was taking place just a few meters away. Despite the gunfire and the fire, the Speaker decided not to suspend the session.
By 13:00, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić held an extraordinary press conference, describing the incident as a terrorist attack.
“It was only a matter of time before something like this happened… The goal was to cause general danger, with a clear and unambiguous motive,” Vučić said.
During his address, the President revealed the personal information of the 70-year-old attacker, and during the press conference, police released footage of his interrogation.
In the video, the attacker stated that he had planned the attack himself and that his intention was to burn down the tents set up in the city centre.
In a video tape, the attacker also said that he came to set Ćacilend on fire, hoping the police would kill him as a result. When asked by officers why he did it, the attacker said he no longer wanted to live.
Following Vučić’s address, the prosecution also issued a statement. Higher Public Prosecutor Nenad Stefanović announced that the attacker had been arrested and was charged with the criminal offence of attempted murder.
Pro-government media have been reporting on the incident as a terrorist attack, referring to the attacker as a “blokader”, a term used by the ruling party to describe students and citizens protesting after the collapse of a canopy in Novi Sad, by, among other things, blocking streets and universities.
While government representatives and pro-government outlets have blamed the protesters for the attack, opposition leaders have accused the authorities of fostering an atmosphere of violence and division in society.
Miroslav Aleksić, president of the People’s Movement of Serbia (NPS), said that “Ćacilend” has proven to be a threat to the public safety of all Serbian citizens, adding that President Aleksandar Vučić’s regime and those responsible for endangering people’s lives must be held accountable.
Borko Stefanović, vice president of the Party of Freedom and Justice (SSP), stated that Aleksandar Vučić is the “architect and author” of today’s attack.
In response to the incident, the protesting students released a short statement on their official social media accounts: “Our path has never been the path of violence.”
The area in front of the National Assembly, known as the so-called “Ćacilend,” was occupied by regime supporters several days before a major student protest on 15 March. The authorities portrayed the group as “students who want to study” and who oppose the blockades. However, for months, there have been no actual students present in the area.
From time to time, regime supporters gather in the encampment, and media reports have documented the presence of individuals with criminal backgrounds. The brother of the Serbian President, Andrej Vučić, has also been seen on multiple occasions leading men, some of them masked, into the area.
