Balkan Protesters Show Solidarity with Black Lives Matter Movement

Campaigners across the Balkans and in Central Europe have held a series of rallies in recent days to show solidarity with ongoing protests in the United States against racism and police brutality.

Anti-racism demonstrations have been held in several Balkan cities and in the Polish capital in recent days, inspired by nationwide protests that erupted in the US following the death of an African-American man called George Floyd, who died after a white police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes.

Activists in Zagreb, Belgrade, Podgorica, Warsaw and Sofia rallied to show solidarity but also to point out the problem of racism and police violence in their own countries.

On Tuesday evening, activists led by the Initiative against Police Violence and Racism held a protest in Zagreb to support the Black Lives Matter movement in the US but also to “draw attention to the local context” – vulnerable groups that suffer discrimination in Croatia such as refugees or the Roma minority.

The NGO Women in Black and Civic Action from the Serbian city of Pancevo organised a solidarity action under the slogan ‘Justice for George Floyd’ on Monday in central Belgrade, supporting the demands of American protesters such as punishment for perpetrators of racially-inspired killings, an end to the use of force by police and an end to the “criminalisation of Antifa [anti-fascists] and other protesters”.

Dozens of people took part in a protest march in the Montenegrin capital Podgorica on Monday evening. “There is no doubt that racists are also hiding among all our local Balkan fascists. That’s why Floyd is also ‘ours’,” said a statement announcing the protest.

The United Coalition Against Racism in Poland organised a demonstration called ‘No Justice No Peace – Poland’ in front of the US Embassy in Warsaw on Saturday. Participants held up placards with slogans like “I stand with you BLM [Black Lives Matter]” and “How many more must die?”

Several hundred young people joined a protest in Sofia the same day, not only against racism around the world but also in Bulgaria, where discrimination is often targeted at Roma people.

“Together we must fight for a brighter future for our children – with the hope of a peaceful, anti-racist and inclusive society built on mutual respect, justice, equality and love,” Mihail Mishev, a member of Roma Standing Conference told the protest in the Bulgarian capital.

Protest against police violence and racism in Zagreb. Photo: BIRN.