Serbian activist Dijana Hrka, on hunger strike for nine days in central Belgrade, declined to comment on her phone conversation with President Aleksandar Vučić, saying she first wants authorities to clarify the cause of a “blast” heard early Monday morning near her protest tent.
“I spoke with the president, but I won’t be making any statements about that yet. I want to know what the explosion this morning was about — no one reacted to it,” Hrka told reporters outside Pionirski Park, opposite the Serbian parliament, where she continues her protest.
Hrka said on social media that a “stun grenade” went off around 6:40 a.m. near her tent and posted a photo showing smoke behind a police barrier surrounding the area known locally as “Ćacilend” — a fenced-off protest camp guarded by police.
A few dozen supporters, including high-school students from a Belgrade graphic design school, gathered near her tent to show solidarity and bring flowers.
Vučić confirmed on his Instagram account that he had spoken by phone with Hrka and another hunger striker, Uglješa Mrdić, urging them to end their protest and inviting Hrka to a meeting at the presidential office.
“All good people in Serbia are concerned about their health,” Vučić said, adding he hopes they will decide to stop the strike.
Hrka began her hunger strike on November 2, a day after the anniversary of the collapse of a canopy at Novi Sad railway station that killed 16 people, including her son Stefan Hrka. She accuses authorities of concealing responsibility for the tragedy and demands the release of detained protesters and the calling of early elections.
Her protest tent stands outside a police-secured area set up by pro-government supporters, preventing her from demonstrating on the parliament steps, where she initially planned to camp.