site.btaThree Protesters Detained during Blockade of Belgrade Fair

Serbian police broke up a blockade outside the Belgrade Fair in the Serbian capital on Thursday, where students and citizens had gathered as part of an informal initiative spearheaded by experts advocating for the preservation of cultural and historical heritage, local media outlets reported. Police removed the protesters shortly after they arrived on the street near the fairgrounds. After being pushed back onto the sidewalk, citizens clashed verbally with law enforcement officers, and three protesters were detained, Radio Free Europe's Serbian Service said.

Thursday’s blockade was prompted by footage shared on social media earlier in the week showing that part of the fair's structure had been demolished. The Belgrade Fair complex held the status of a cultural monument in 2009 and since then, only Hall 1 has retained that status, Radio Free Europe reported.

With a history spanning more than 80 years, the Belgrade International Fair is described on its official website as the most successful fair institution in Serbia and Southeast Europe.

On Wednesday evening, the Belgrade Fair management denied that demolition work had begun, saying that two illegal structures had been removed as part of efforts to improve the condition of the Sava River’s banks.

The fairgrounds have been incorporated into the Belgrade Waterfront project following a government decision in April to expand it by 327 hectares. The project is a joint venture between the Serbian state and UAE-based Eagle Hills Properties.

Launched in 2014, Belgrade Waterfront is planned as the Serbian capital’s premier complex featuring 10,000 apartments, a bilingual public primary school, kindergartens, luxury hotels including the St. Regis, Southeast Europe’s largest shopping mall—Galerija Beograd—and various public buildings. The total area of construction will cover some 1.8 million square metres.