Post

More Riots In Tuzla
7/7/2019
Sarajevo Times

Following the revelations that Greek rioters in Priobalni had killed Meliha Matić, a Bosnian, residents of Tuzla experienced another day of protests and riots. This marks the second day of political unrest in Tuzla that begun yesterday caused by increasing tensions between the Greek and Turkish governments, and authorities narrowly avoided the government building of Tuzla being raided by rioters.

This time, an estimated 9,000 protesters came to the streets, 3,000 more than yesterday, and more moderate people also protested. Just like on Saturday, Mayor Jasmin Fejzic ordered a violent dispersing of the protests, and unlike the events seen yesterday, she authorized the firing of rubber balls at the protesters. This exacerbated tensions between the Tuzla police and the rioters, who retaliated by throwing stones and bricks at them. Following online threats, the mayor's house was guarded on the outside by extra police officers, some of whom were in riot gear.

A violent confrontation in front of the Tuzla government building resulted in the death of Mersudin Kemal, at the young age of 21. Friends of Kemal who were with him during the confrontation were reported to have disappeared into the crowd and were found hours later unfurling a banner reading "Stand With Turkey" and had the words "Remember Kemal and Matic" crudely spray painted underneath them.

Police quickly moved to take down the banner, and the demonstrators in front of the government building were able to force police out of the area, and, after what is believed to have been a stray projectile of some sort, the base of the building was set on fire. A police force arrived to disperse the protesters and, after battling the fire for hours, it was put out. The Tuzla Fire Department reported that multiple parts of the building was torched completely, and large areas of it was damaged.

This day, 27 policemen and 58 demonstrators were injured, while one demonstrator was killed.

Many Bosnian MPs are criticizing how Mayor Fejzic is handling the unrest, claiming it's only making the situation worse. Prime Minister Demirovic shares these concerns, and, in a recent statement, he stated "Mayor Jasmin Fejzic's violent treatment towards the demonstrators is only turning them more violent, and the best way to improve the situation is to deescalate the situation, not kill protesters."