After more than ten months: Citizens of Cetinje temporarily suspend blockades at Kruševo ždrijelo

Reporting from Podgorica, Nevena Kovačević

After more than ten months of daily protests at Kruševo ždrijelo, the citizens of Cetinje have decided to temporarily suspend traffic blockades on that section of the main road Cetinje – Podgorica.

The reason is yesterday's statement by the Police Administration that Goran Jokić, due to objective and justified reasons, will not perform the duties of the head of the regional center of the Security Center Center, that is, the duties and tasks of the said position.

Jokić held that position at the time of both mass murders in Cetinje, in which 23 lives were lost, including four boys: Marko, Mašan, Jovan and Vukan.

Jokić's removal was one of the key demands of citizens outraged by the lack of accountability and adequate system response after two unprecedented crimes.

We transmit the statement of the citizens who blocked traffic at Kruševo ždrijelo in its entirety:

"For more than ten months, the persistent and unwavering struggle of the citizens of Cetinje has been ongoing, seeking only truth and justice for all those killed and wounded in two mass crimes in Cetinje. Unfortunately, it took the system's institutions and those most responsible ten months, after silence and an ignorant attitude towards our protest, to sanction just one link in the chain of responsibility, responsible for a series of failures regarding these two crimes.

On the other hand, we have shown that persistence in the spirit of Montenegrin endurance yields results, and we say – we will not stop here. We believe that the judicial institutions and the Ministry of Justice will take into account our determination and persistence, as well as the gravity of the case before them, and that they will not allow our return to Kruševo ždrijelo.

Unlike those whose goal was for this city to die – we are for life, for life to continue and be the greatest value, and therefore, in anticipation of the upcoming, for us painful New Year and Christmas holidays, we temporarily suspend the protest with the message: Our small victory is just a step compared to what will happen through
judicial and other processes.

We are grateful to everyone who supported us, both from Cetinje and from every Montenegrin city, in any way, even to those who stepped out of the column of stopped vehicles and stood with us and gave a word of support. It meant a lot. We also thank those who gave our protest its initial impetus, when we gathered in much larger
numbers. Special gratitude goes to the members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Montenegro, who conducted the blockade in a professional and, above all, humane manner throughout its duration."