Members of United Action Roof Over One’s Head and Efektiva groups, joined by their sympathisers, held a protest gathering in front of Hotel M in Belgrade, where an assembly of the Chamber of Enforcement Officers was taking place.
Few dozens of protesters loudly addressed their disagree with the enforcement officers’ practice to those who were coming to take part in the assembly held in Bulevar oslobođenja street in Belgrade.
The protesters wore yellow vests similar to the vests of the protesters in France, as a sign of support to the rioters in that country, and in many other cities across Europe.
A police cordon prevented the protesters to approach the hotel and talk directly to the enforcement officers.
Two of the protesters managed to enter the hotel through a back entrance. After they tried to address the gathered enforcement officers with their questions, members of private security pushed them out from the hall, after which their personal data was collected by the police.
Members of United Action Roof Over One’s Head addressed the gathered citizens, promising them that they will continue with their practice, be present at every eviction in the future, and not give up on protecting people from being thrown out on the street.
We tried to get a statement from the Chamber of Enforcement Officers. After consulting the organisers, the hotel staff informed us that everybody is occupied with the meeting, although the participant of the assembly were only gathering.
The activists who organised the protest managed to prevent three evictions in a day a few days prior to the protest, adding those to hundreds of homes which they have successfully protected so far.
M.J.
Translation from Serbian: Iskra Krstić
This article was originally published in Serbian on Dec 8, 2018
