# SNS supporters' attack on an exhibition in Bački Petrovac

Category: Violence against citizens  
Period: from 9 Aug 2025  
Outcome: Under investigation (as of 13 Aug 2026)  

On 9 August 2025 in Bački Petrovac, a group of men whom the organisers describe as supporters of the SNS tore up protest photographs on display during the Slovak National Festival. When the police withdrew, the group came back and attacked the citizens and war veterans who had gathered there. The police reportedly did not stop them, and detained two of the veterans. A year later, the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad says that a criminal complaint against several people was filed on its orders and that five suspects have been questioned.

## The exhibition and the first attack

On 9 August 2025, during the Slovak National Festivities, an informal group of citizens, Slovaks from Bačka, Banat and Srem, put up around thirty photographs in a park in Bački Petrovac. The photographs showed protests in towns where Slovaks live. A group of men burst in and tore them up; according to eyewitnesses, the police did not react.

Organiser Ivan Bartoš says the police had earlier demanded that the gathering be registered with a licensed steward.

## The attackers return

The same day, citizens put the photographs up again. Once the police withdrew, the attackers came back, with reinforcements according to Nova.rs, and physically attacked those gathered, among them women and war veterans. Several people were injured, and Bartoš says he was struck as well. According to him, the police arrived but did not file a report.

## Veterans and a road blockade

Police detained two war veterans during the night. On 10 August, the day after the attack, a police intervention unit blocked access to the site from the direction of Novi Sad. Residents made their way in across the fields and the river, and the exhibition was opened for a third time. On 11 August the Novi Sad prosecutor's office proposed house arrest for the two veterans for obstructing an official.

## Who was with the attackers

Bartoš told the media that “the entire municipal leadership” was with the attackers and that state secretary Goran Đaković introduced himself to him personally. He later added that everything, or so it appears at least, was organised and carried out by SNS members and local officials together with the state secretary, in collusion with the police.

## Complaints and the prosecution

Veljko Milić, the lawyer for those attacked, says complaints have been filed for violent behaviour at a public gathering, incitement to national hatred and grievous bodily harm. Complaints have also been filed against the police officers who were present. According to Nova.rs, the prosecutor's office acted only once those attacked had hired lawyers.

In August 2026 the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad replied that it had conducted pre-investigation proceedings and that on its orders the police had filed a criminal complaint against several people. It said five suspects had been questioned, with the sixth scheduled for 31 August.

## Participants

- [Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Serbia](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/mup-srbije): Allegedly failed to prevent the destruction of the exhibition and the attack on those gathered, withdrew before the second attack and detained two war veterans (responsible)
- [Serbian Progressive Party](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/sns): Its supporters allegedly tore up an exhibition of photographs and physically attacked the citizens and war veterans gathered there (responsible)
- [Goran Đaković](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/goran-dakovic): According to organiser Ivan Bartoš, he was with the attackers and among those who organised the attack on the exhibition (responsible)
- [Novi Sad Police Department](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/pu-novi-sad): On the orders of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office, it filed a criminal complaint against several people for violent behaviour at a public gathering (investigation and courts)
- [Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/vjt-novi-sad): After complaints from those attacked, it conducted pre-investigation proceedings and questioned five suspects; the sixth is scheduled for 31 August (investigation and courts)

## Victims and others harmed

- [Ivan Bartoš](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/ivan-bartos)
- [Dragan Prpa](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/dragan-prpa)

## Sources

- [Vreme: Thugs tear up photographs at exhibition in Bački Petrovac](<https://vreme.com/kultura/batinasi-pocepali-fotografije-na-izlozbi-u-backom-petrovcu/>): 9 Aug 2025
- [021.rs: VIDEO Tensions still high in Bački Petrovac: unknown men waited for the police to leave, then attacked](<https://www.021.rs/story/Novi-Sad/Vesti/417558/VIDEO-I-dalje-napeto-u-Backom-Petrovcu-Nepoznati-muskarci-sacekali-da-ode-policija-pa-napali.html>): 9 Aug 2025
- [Nova.rs: A year after Progressives attacked residents in Bački Petrovac, prosecutors have yet to question even all the suspects](<https://nova.rs/vesti/hronika/godinu-dana-nakon-napada-naprednjaka-na-gradjane-u-backom-petrovcu-tuzilastvo-jos-nije-ispitalo-ni-sve-osumnjicene>): 13 Aug 2026
- [Autonomija: The violence in Bački Petrovac was not an inter-ethnic incident but revenge by the Progressives](<https://autonomija.info/nasilje-u-backom-petrovcu-nije-bilo-medjunacionalni-incident-vec-osveta-naprednjaka/>): 31 Aug 2025
- [Nova.rs: A year after Progressives attacked Slovaks in Bački Petrovac over an exhibition: no investigation, but there is Aca Pejović](<https://nova.rs/vesti/hronika/tukli-gradjane-zbog-izlozbe-o-poginulima-u-novom-sadu-a-onda-muk-sta-se-desava-sa-slucajem-iz-backog-petrovca>): 2 Aug 2026
- [Autonomija: Novi Sad: war veterans questioned by prosecutors over incidents in Bački Petrovac](<https://autonomija.info/novi-sad-saslusanje-ratnih-veterana-u-tuzilastvu-zbog-incidenata-u-backom-petrovcu/>): 11 Aug 2025
- [021.rs: VIDEO: New incident in Bački Petrovac, several residents injured](<https://www.021.rs/story/Novi-Sad/Vesti/417587/VIDEO-Novi-incident-u-Backom-Petrovcu-povredjeno-nekoliko-gradjana.html>): 9 Aug 2025
- [Danas: Exhibition goes ahead in Bački Petrovac: residents declare victory as police and SNS supporters block roads](<https://www.danas.rs/vesti/drustvo/backi-petrovac-izlozba/>): 10 Aug 2025
- [Nova.rs: The entire leadership of the Bački Petrovac municipality was with the thugs: protest photographs torn up by the attackers are back on display, and war veterans join residents](<https://nova.rs/vesti/hronika/napeto-u-backom-petrovcu-vracene-fotografije-o-protestima-koje-su-nasilnici-cepali-gradjanima-se-pridruzili-ratni-veterani/>): 9 Aug 2025
- [N1: Pair of veterans detained after incidents in Bački Petrovac](<https://n1info.rs/vesti/privedena-dvojica-veterana-posle-incidenata-u-backom-petrovcu/>): 10 Aug 2025
- [021.rs: Novi Sad prosecutors propose house arrest for veteran pair; charges now known](<https://www.021.rs/story/Novi-Sad/Vesti/417743/Veterani-ispred-novosadskog-suda-zbog-saboraca-koji-su-na-saslusanju.html>): 11 Aug 2025
- [Vreme: Veterans gather in Bački Petrovac over their pair of arrested comrades](<https://vreme.com/vesti/veterani-su-u-backom-petrovcu-zbog-dvojice-uhapsenih-kolega/>): 10 Aug 2025
- [Nova.rs: Who runs the Novi Sad police: the chiefs caught on camera yesterday at the Faculty of Philosophy as police beat students](<https://nova.rs/vesti/hronika/ko-su-ljudi-koji-vode-novosadsku-policiju-sefovi-usnimljeni-juce-na-filozofskom-fakultetu-kada-je-policija-tukli-studente/>): 22 Jan 2026
- [N1: Dragan Prpa, attacked at the protest in Bački Petrovac: the regime is afraid of September](<https://n1info.rs/vesti/dragan-prpa-napadnut-na-protestu-u-backom-petrovcu-rezim-se-plasi-septembra/>): 12 Aug 2025

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Source: Odgovornost, https://odgovornost.rs/en/afere/napad-na-izlozbu-backi-petrovac  
As of: 6 Nov 2026  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en)