Jovo Bakic: Protest Rally at Slavija Magnificent, but Solution Lies in Revolutionary Justice

Jovo Bakic (BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV)

A professor at Belgrade’s Faculty of Philosophy, Jovo Bakic, said on Dec. 23 that the protest rally held the day before at the Slavija Square was magnificent, but that revolutionary justice was the real solution, as the authorities were clearly refusing to meet the students' demands.

Speaking for BETA, Bakic said that the protest sent a strong message to the regime and the public, and that "the regime is well aware that its end is near."

In a comment on the government's failure to disclose all project and financial documentation regarding the reconstruction of the railway station in Novi Sad, Bakic stated that if they were to do so, they would immediately face decades-long prison sentences.

Bakic predicted that "violence and repression against students and other citizens demanding accountability for the tragedy in Novi Sad will undoubtedly continue" and that the regime will "become increasingly violent as it weakens."

When asked about a way out of the tense political and social situation, Bakic suggested  revolutionary justice and life imprisonment for key office holders. "I do not support the idea of an interim government. It is only possible if the U.S. can force the regime-backed opposition and the authorities to negotiate, so that they are not held criminally accountable for all the harm they have caused," Bakic concluded.