The Final Line Crossed?

Written by Đorđe Šćepović

If anyone still harbored the illusion that Andrija Mandić, Danilo Šaranović, and others like them might, under exceptional circumstances, act contrary to their true nature or the mission they serve, tonight’s protest should dispel that notion entirely.

By unleashing brutal force on citizens peacefully protesting a brazen mockery of both the law and basic common sense, the regime has confirmed that Aleksandar Vučić’s model of governance is alive and well in Montenegro.

Arrogant and ruthless, Mandić and Šaranović – joined by a prime minister and president cut from the same cloth – sent a crystal-clear message tonight: this is a totalitarian regime, and police repression is what lies ahead.

Following the outrageous decision to award the July 13th Prize not only to those who openly deny the legitimacy of Montenegro and its national holiday, but also to fraudulent laureates who lied during their nominations and continue to lie on regime-controlled TV (the now-defunct Gradska), the Assembly, the Ministry of Culture, and other relevant institutions failed to annul the competition for the country’s highest state honor.

Instead, the regime resorted to brute force, exposing its true and final face to the public. Many citizens were assaulted tonight, including Aleksandar Radoman, Dean of the Faculty of Montenegrin Language and Literature, and Stefan Todorović, a teaching assistant at the same faculty, both of whom were taken to the emergency room.

In light of all this, we must confront the reality: the authorities have crossed every red line. And they intend to defend their dictatorship and lawlessness by terrorizing the people.

Still, no matter how convincing the illusion of absolute power may appear, history has a clear verdict for regimes that rule through the force of private armies and police.