Following a protest in New York outside BC Partners offices, the Serbian diaspora organized a demonstration in front of United Group (UG) headquarters in Amsterdam to show support for N1 and other media outlets operating under United Media (UM). The protest comes in response to a leaked conversation between UG CEO Stan Miller and Telekom Srbija CEO Vladimir Lucic, which discussed the removal of Aleksandra Subotic, the director of United Media, which is part of United Group.
“People gathered outside United Group’s headquarters in the Netherlands. We are a group called ‘11.52 Netherlands’—about 500 of us in the Netherlands working to make Serbia’s voice heard. The goal of today’s gathering is to deliver our letter to United Group, expressing our shock that a company based in the Netherlands, which prides itself on democratic values, would contribute to stifling free media in Serbia,” said Dunja Radulov.
She noted that the group read the letter aloud and held 16 minutes of silence.
On November 1, 2024, at 11:52 am, a concrete canopy collapsed at the recently renovated Novi Sad Train Station, killing 16 people and severely injuring one.
“We will soon enter the building to try to deliver the letter and open a dialogue with United Group’s management in the Netherlands,” Radulov explained.
She emphasized that access to quality media that report independently on protests in Serbia is crucial for the diaspora.
“We are already seeing interest from Dutch media about what is happening, and we’ve had some initial responses. Our hope is that this will increase pressure and lead to concrete changes,” Radulov said.
When asked what would happen if such a conversation were exposed in the Netherlands, she replied that “resignations would happen on the first day.”
The Serbian diaspora in the UK is set to hold a protest on Saturday, September 6, in support of N1 and other United Media outlets, outside the London headquarters of BC Partners, the majority owner of United Group.
The Serbian diaspora has launched in over 50 cities across 15 countries a petition called “Protect Free Media,” with a message that “there can be no backroom deals.”
Serbian citizens living in London, Washington, Brussels, San Francisco, and other cities have stressed the importance of free and independent media in Serbia, stating that “every lost independent media outlet pushes Serbia deeper into total media darkness.”
Source: N1
