Progressives Dismiss Freedom and Justice Party's Accusations, Say Djilas Attacked Them First

Luka Petrovic (Photo: Beoinfo)

Serbian Progressive Party leadership member Luka Petrovic said early on Dec. 20 that a clash between party activists and Freedom and Justice Party leader Dragan Djilas the night before had happened during "the most normal party activity" of putting up posters, and claimed that Djilas had dealt the first blow and that one of the Progressive party activists had suffered a concussion.

Petrovic told reporters on Progressive party premises that the incident occurred on Vojvode Stepe street 30 minutes after midnight.

"One of the most normal or most regular party activities carried out by the Serbian Progressive Party youth turned into a brutal showdown with, I can freely say, a complete idiot like Dragan Djilas and his thug whom he had brought there to beat up children aged 18 to 20," said Petrovic.

He further said the Progressive party youth were peacefully standing on the street and putting up posters with the slogan "Djilas the thief," when the Freedom and Justice Party leader and his "scumbag bodyguard" showed up and started attacking the activists and threatening them.

"The first blow was dealt by Dragan Djilas directly to me, and then his bodyguard started hitting those kids too," said Petrovic, adding that Djilas had probably thought the activists would be scared and run away.

He dismissed allegations that the Progressive party activists had attacked first, saying that the Freedom and Justice Party members had come to them while they were putting up posters.