Dunno what to say really… I feel awful, ashamed, terrible…
There are not many things that can be said in a moment like this, at least not in an articulated way…
In just a few days, Belgrade has lost its biggest pride – to be the safest city we know about… I’m travelling a lot, and I mean a lot, but never ever do I feel so safe like when I am in Belgrade.
Not anymore, though…

Bunch of products of the social situation in Serbia in last two decades, products hiding among football fans and usually ultra-right organizations, encouraged by completely corrupted and screwed up system, have again shown how easy it is to misrepresent the majority on good and hospitable people of this country…

They cowardly attacked and beaten up to death this poor guy, which will, I still believe and hope, become a symbol of the time when Serbia finally said NO to hooligans of any sort. That’s the least we can do at this moment.
RIP Brice – you will not be forgotten…

I think Adam has put it together very good in his post at http://www.balkanfile.com/belgraders-say-no-to-violence.

See you tomorrow at the Republic Square…

Belgraders, Say NO to Violence
Sep 29th, 2009

by Adam.

28-year-old Toulouse football support Brice Taton died this morning in a Belgrade hospital. Brice was critically injured on 17 September while sitting with other Toulouse fans in a cafe in central Belgrade when a group of some 30 hooligans/cowards attacked them unprovoked. This incident, along with a series of other attacks on foreigners over the last 2 weeks, has shocked Belgrade and her citizens.

No words can describe how terrible this is. This young man came to Belgrade, a city which has been recently gaining a reputation for being a safe, friendly and welcoming city, to support the team he loved, to spend time with his friends and enjoy himself, but he died at the hands of cowards who need numbers and weapons to carry out their pointless violence.

The police arrested and detained a number of young men and intended to charge them with attempted murder. Now they’ll be facing charges of murder and I hope they receive adequate sentences for their involvement in the death of this visitor to Belgrade.

You may be thinking, “what’s the big deal? Football violence and tourist attacks happen all the time in other countries.” Yes. It does. But it does not happen in Belgrade. Foreigners who have made Belgrade their home go on and on how it  is one of the safest places they’ve ever lived. That’s why it is so shocking for us who live here. I’ve never felt threatened in Belgrade – I can’t say the same for the time when I lived in the UK.

The people of Belgrade need to denounce the violence that has taken place on our streets over the last 2 weeks. There are hundreds of condolence comments on Serbian news websites, but Belgraders need to go out and show the world that we will not allow thugs and hooligans to threaten our amazingly safe city. And you know what, I think they will.

The Serbian Ministry of Human Rights has called on citizens to light candles and lay flowers tomorrow, Wednesday 30 September, at 11.30am at Trg Republike (Republic Square). Also, a Protest Walk Against Violence will take place on Thursday 1 October at 5pm, from Plato to the Victor Monument in Kalemegdan Park.