Thirty-eight-year-old M.P. and owner of the car that struck a 20-year-old woman around noon today has been identified and detained by police, the Belgrade Police Department announced, as reported by N1.
Footage shows the driver accelerating into a crowd, hitting the woman with such force that she landed on the roof of the vehicle before rolling off onto the pavement. The driver did not stop, even after security personnel chased after him, and fled the scene. The student, suffering a severe traumatic injury, was transported to the Emergency Center in Belgrade. According to currently available information, she is a student at the Faculty of Law in Belgrade.
“A car was approaching at high speed from the direction of King Aleksandar Boulevard. People in the crowd tried to let it pass, as the blockade hadn’t officially started yet, but it veered onto the sidewalk and struck the girl. It carried her for about 30 meters before she fell and hit the back of her head on the asphalt,” an eyewitness told N1.
This is the first recorded case of serious bodily harm caused by a vehicle attack on protesters. In response, students are gathering to protest on King Aleksandar Boulevard in front of the Faculty of Law.
Students in Novi Sad are planning a multi-hour blockade near Futoška street after a protest in front of the courthouse in response to the Belgrade incident. The Student Assembly (STAV) is calling on citizens to join the blockade.
Tomorrow, a protest will be held in front of the country’s public broadcaster, RTS, in Belgrade. It is expected that a large number of people will attend to extend their support after today’s attack.
I.K., A.M.