Campaigners attacked at the EXIT festival in Serbia
Submitted by Nikki on 16 July, 2007 - 09:38.
media
This year, the campaign partnered with the 7th edition of the EXIT festival. Diversity, equality and tolerance were the main themes of the event but nevertheless the campaign march was attacked by radicals on the first day of the event.
About 50 “All Different All Equal” campaign supporters started a March for Diversity in the centre of the city at about 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 12. The group also included performers on stilts and dressed in various costumes. They were handing out campaign materials to the crowd when a few hooligans started throwing various objects at them but they did not pay attention and proceeded to the park leading out of the city centre.
At that time, they were attacked by about several ultranationalists who seemed to have been waiting there. The attackers started chanting xenophobic statements, kicking and beating people, breaking their glasses, and throwing performers off the stilts. Police arrived in about 20 minutes after the start of the incident.
One person was hospitalised with a temporary memory loss but was later checked out in a stable condition. Others were injured but did not require hospitalization.
The campaigners marched again in large numbers on Friday, July 13 to show that they were not intimidated. They also held a press-conference and were interviewed by MTV.
Serbian media covered the attack extensively:
http://www.b92.net/eng/news/society-article.php?yyyy=2007&mm=07&dd=13&na...
Assault mars EXIT opening
13 July 2007 | 12:53 | Source: FoNet NOVI SAD -- NGO activists were assaulted Thursday during the promotion of the All different – All equal campaign in Novi Sad.
The campaign’s public relations officer told B92 that participants of the festive procession were physically assaulted in downtown Novi Sad by a group of six bald-headed youths.
Assailants knocked down a performer who sustained head and arms injuries, while five others were wounded lightly.
Novi Sad police spokesman Stevan Krstić confirmed to B92 that the incident occurred in Dunavska Street adding that police launched an investigation and planned to issue a press release shortly.
All different – All equal campaign, sponsored by the Council of Europe, is an international event that takes place in several European states.
It promotes equality and speaks against racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and intolerance.
Its Serbian leg is set within the EXIT Music Festival that opened Thursday in Novi Sad, involving young Serbian NGO activists.
This year’s EXIT, set to last through July 16 at the Petrovaradin Fortress, features around 400 performers from all over the world.
VIP daily bulletin
Hooligans Attacked Participants of Campaign for Equality in Novi Sad
In Novi Sad, a group of ten hooligans attacked and beaten up on Thursday afternoon activists of the campaign “All different – all equal” that is being promoted during the festival EXIT in Vojvodina’s capital.
The hooligans attacked activists in Dunavski Park, in the very center of the city, and the incident was soon reported to the police, TV B92 reported.
Two injured activists, one of them from Israel, were kept in hospital.
Despite the fact that Novi Sad has the reputation of being a cosmopolitan city inhabited by over 20 nations, this town has become in the past fifteen years a sort of the center for skinheads and similar groups of hooligans and troublemakers.
The festival EXIT, seventh in order, started on Thursday evening on Petrovaradin fortress by a concert of the band Prodigy. According to media reports, over 20,000 visitors who came from European countries are in Novi Sad for the festival.
FONET NEWS AGENCY
Attack of the hooligans on activists in Novi Sad
Novi Sad, July 12 (Fonet) – During the promotion of the campaign “All Different-All Equal” in Novi Sad a group of hooligans attacked the campaign activists.
Campaign’s PR officer Biljana Simonovic told B92 that the participants of the march were passing through a park down town and animating people when they were attacked by a group of six bold young men. One of the participants who was walking on stools was pushed down and sustained head and arm injuries, she said adding that five more people sustained light injuries.
Spokesman of the Novi Sad police Stevan Krstic confirmed to B92 that the attack happened downtown and that the police are establishing the facts.
He said some of the activists sustained light injuries and announced police will soon issue a statement.
Campaign “All Different-All Equal” is conducted in several European countries and will hold two panel discussions about the anti-discriminatory law and the campaign itself during the Exit festival.
7th Exit festival opened today with the acrobatics spectacle of Akro group Stars from Novi Sad who flew above the town in four “Galeb” jet planes.
Around 400 artists from all over the world, performing on 24 stages, will entertain tens of thousands music fans.
Novi Sad Radio 021
PROCESSION ATTACKED
“Procession of diversity”, part of the “All Different-All Equal Campaign” has been attacked in the Danube Park in Novi Sad. According to unofficial information, a group of young men attacked two Israelis who were on stools and in the procession. One person sustained serious injuries while another light. Police report is expected.
General Manager of this youth campaign Michael Raphael was also in the procession. The campaign “All Different-All Equal”, initiated by the Council of Europe last year, is conducted during the Exit festival to promote richness in diversity.
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Stop assaults on those who are different
PRESS RELEASE
Stop assaults on those who are different
NOVI SAD (July 13th 2007) – Youth Initiative for Human Rights seriously condemns brutal assault on the participants of the Caravan of Differences, organized as part of the international campaign of NGO network "All Different – All Equal". After the assault, one of the visitors from Israel ended up in ER surgery.
The barbarian violent act was committed by a neo-Nazi group, which characterized this incident on their website as the first in a series of planned attacks to take place during the EXIT music festival.
We demand from the Mayor of Novi Sad, Mrs. Maja Gojkovic, from city authorities and from the police to ensure maximum security measures and ensure the safety of all citizens of Novi Sad and of all visitors of EXIT.
"We use this opportunity to remind the public that a theater group from Italy was also assailed last year during their public performance; actors of the Youth Theater were also beaten up. We do not want to see Novi Sad as a city in which artists and those who seem different are beaten up", said Ivana Radakov, Coordinator of the YIHR Vojvodina office.
The Caravan of Difference will depart the city today at 7pm. The YIHR invites all citizens to join it and thus openly show their rejection of fascist-like behavior in Novi Sad.
Youth Initiative for Human Rights
Novi Sad
Ivana Todic
President's Assistant
Regional YIHR Office
Kondina 26/II
11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Tel/fax: +381 11 337 07 57, 337 07 47
cell +381 63 215 047
office@yihr.org
www.yihr.org
More Serbian media reports
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Uhapšeni napadači na povorku Egzita
16. jul 2007. | 15:27 | Izvor: Beta
Novi Sad -- Uhapšeno pet mladića koji su proteklog četvrtka u centru Novog Sada napali aktiviste kampanje "Svi različiti - svi jednaki".
Kako se navodi u današnjem saopštenju policije, svi uhapšeni privedeni su sudiji za prekršaje. Opštinski sudija za prekršaje izrekao je Seadu A. (20), Branku J. (22) i Zoranu B. (20) kazne zatvora u trajanju od 40 dana, dok je protiv Vukašina S. (21) i Nemanje M. (20) postupak obustavljen, piše u saopštenju. Svi su iz Novog Sada.
Prošlog četvrtka, prilikom održavanja "Povorke različitosti" u okviru kampanje "Svi različiti - svi ravnopravni", navedena petorica su fizički napali aktiviste i zadali im više udaraca u predelu glave i tela, navodi se u saopštenju.
Tu kampanju inicirao je Savet Evrope još 1995. godine kako bi se društvo pokrenulo na borbu protiv rasizma, antisemitizma, ksenofobije i netolerancije.
Kampanja je održana, pa su organizatori akcije na Egzitu juče učestvovali i u povorci.
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ZEM-NOVI SAD-POLICIJA
Uhapsseni napadacci na Povorku razliccitosti, trojici zatvor
NOVI SAD, 16. jula 2007. (Beta) - Novosadska policija je uhapsila
petoricu mladicha koji su proteklog ccetvrtka u centru grada napali
aktiviste kampanje "Svi razlicciti - svi jednaki", koja se, pod
pokroviteljstvom Saveta Evrope, odrzzavala kao deo programa "Egzit"
(Exit) festivala.
KAko se navodi u danassnjem saopsstenju policije, sudiji za prekrssaje
privedeni su Sead A. (20), Branko J. (22), Zoran B. (20), Vukassin S.
(21) i Nemanja M. (20), svi iz Novog Sada.
Opsstinski sudija za prekrssaje Seadu A, Branku J. i Zoranu B. izrekao
kazne zatvora u trajanju od 40 dana, dok je protiv Vukassina S. i
Nemanje M. postupak obustavljen, pisse u saopsstenju.
Prilikom odrzzavanja "Povorke razliccitosti" u okviru kampanje "Svi
razlicciti - svi jednaki", navedena petorica su fiziccki napali
aktiviste i zadali im visse udaraca u predelu glave i tela, navodi se
u saopsstenju.
Dodaje se da su tada laksse povredjena ccetiri uccesnika "Povorke
razliccitosti".
(Kraj) dgh/jjj/sas
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Napad huligana na aktiviste u NS
12. jul 2007. | 21:55 -> 22:41 | Izvor: FoNet
Novi Sad -- Tokom promocije kampanje "Svi razlici - svi ravnopravni" u Novom Sadu grupa huligana je nasrnula na
aktiviste kampanje.
PR kampanje Biljana Simonovic kaze za B92 da su ucesnici povorke, animirajuci prolaznike, prolazili kroz
Dunavski park da bi ih, kako kaze Simonoviceva, napala grupa od sest celavih momaka. Nasilnici su jednog od njih
oborili sa stula zbog cega je ovaj zadobio povrede glave i ruku, kaze ona i dodaje da je jos petoro ucesnika povorke lakse povredeno.
Portparol novosadske policije Stevan Krstic je potvrdio B92 da se napad desio u centru grada i da policija
utvrdjuje stanje.
On je naveo da su neki od aktivista pretrpeli lakse povrede i najavio da ce policija uskoro izdati saopstenje
za javnost.
Kampanja "Svi razlicti - svi ravnopravni" se sprovodi u vise evropskih zemalja, a tokom festivala Egzit u
okviru kampanje ce biti odrzane dve tribine posvecene antidiskriminacionom zakonu i samoj kampanji.
Danas je akrobatskim spektaklo clanova Akro-grupe Stars iz Novog Sada, koji su dvadesetak minuta u cetiri
mlazna aviona tipa "galeb" leteli iznad grada, na Petrovaradinskoj tvrdavi otvoren je 7. Egzit.
Ovogodisnja cetvorodnevna manifestacija okupice oko 400 izvodaca iz svih krajeva sveta, koji ce na 24 bine
zabavljati desetine hiljada ljubitelja najrazlicitijih zanrova muzike.
O ovome vise na stranicama kulture B92
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radio 021
NAPADNUTA POVORKA 12.07.2007.
20:44 - "Povorka razlicitosti", koja je u okviru kampanje "Svi razliciti-svi ravnopravni" isla centrom
grada napadnuta je u Dunavskom parku. Kako 021 nezvanicno saznaje grupa mladica napala je dvoje Izraelaca koji su na stulama isli u koloni. Jedna osoba je teze povredjena, dok je druga prosla sa laksim povredama. Ceka se izvestaj policije.
U povorci je bio i generalni menadzer ove omladinske kampanje Majkl Rafael. Kampanja "Svi razliciti-svi
ravnopravni", koju je prosle godine pokrenuo Savet Evrope, realizuje se tokom festivala Exit kako bi se promovisalo bogatstvo razlicitosti. (021)
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BLIC
Huligani pretukli aktiviste antidiskriminacione kampanje
Autor: Beta | 12.07.2007. - 21:36
Dvoje aktivista kampanje "Svi razliciti - svi ravnopravni" koja se odrzava u okviru muzickog festivala Egzit dospelo je danas popodne u bolnicu posto ih je pretukla grupa huligana u centru Novog Sada.
Prema recima predstavnika kampanje Biljane Simonovic, napad se desio dok je povorka od oko 40 aktivista kampanje iz Srbije i inostranstva izvodila performans u centru Novog Sada, uz antidiskriminacione poruke gradanima.
Ona je agenciji Beta kazala da je povorku aktivista, od kojih su neki bili i na stulama, napalo desetak huligana I isprebijalo ih. Simonovic je rekla da je jedan od hospitalizovanih aktivista iz Izraela, a da se identitet drugog jos utvrduje.
Portparol novosadske policije Stevan Krstic je potvrdio agenciji Beta da se napad desio u centru grada i da policija utvrduje stanje. Krstic je naveo da su neki od aktivista pretrpeli lakse povrede i najavio da ce policija uskoro izdati saopstenje za javnost.
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