Do not let Belgrade drown

Do not let Belgrade drown (Serbian: Не давимо Београд, romanized: Ne davimo Beograd, NDB/NDMBGD), previously stylised as Do not let Belgrade d(r)own (Serbian: Не да(ви)мо Београд, Ne da(vi)mo Beograd), was a green political organisation^[1] in Serbia.

Do not let Belgrade drown Не давимо Београд Ne davimo Beograd
Abbreviation	NDB, NDMBGD
Minor Council	Biljana Đorđević Dobrica Veselinović Natalija Simović Radomir Lazović Robert Kozma
Founded	22 July 2014
Dissolved	14 July 2023
Succeeded by	Green–Left Front
Headquarters	Belgrade
Ideology	Green politics Progressivism
Political position	Left-wing
European affiliation	European Greens (candidate)
International affiliation	Progressive International
Colors	Green
Slogan	"Čiji grad, naš grad" ("Whose city, our city")
Website
nedavimobeograd.rs
Politics of Serbia Political parties Elections

A grassroots movement formed in 2014,^{[2]: 128 [3]} aimed at criticising and reforming the current political system through "involving citizens in the development of their environment" and transparency. The organisation was made up of a group of people of different profiles, professions, and beliefs interested in urban and cultural policies, sustainable urban development, and equitable use of shared resources. In October 2022, NDB announced that together with local citizens' groups it would transform itself into a political party.^[4] It was succeeded by the Green–Left Front on 14 July 2023.^[5]

NDB was positioned on the left-wing on the political spectrum,^{[2]: 200 [6]: 119} and had adopted left-wing populist ideas,^[6]: 119 and an anti-neoliberal,^{[2]: 199 [7]} anti-nationalist,^[8] progressive,^[9] municipalist,^[10] and egalitarian ideology.^[2]: 199 It maintained socialist and social-democratic economic policies,^[8] while it was also supportive of democratic socialism,^[11][12] and environmentalism.^[13][14][15] NDB described itself as a "green-left" organisation,^[16][17] while Radomir Lazović described NDB as a "transparent, democratic, solidarity[-based], green, and leftist movement".^[18] It was a member of the Progressive International.^[19]

History

Early actions

Citizens of Belgrade have gathered around a civic initiative "Do not let Belgrade d(r)own", whose trademark has become a big yellow duck. The initiative have organised a number of actions and protests to criticise the Belgrade waterfront urban project which, according to them, is an extremely harmful project.^[20] The public attention was drawn during the protest of 26 April and in 2015 in front of the Belgrade Cooperatives building, during the signing of the Belgrade Waterfront Contract. Then a crowd gathered with the intervention of the police enclosed by stopping two GSP trams in the middle of a roundabout in front of the Cooperative building.^[21]

The police have halted the performance of NDM BGD during the Belgrade Ship Carnival on 29 August 2015, when the duly registered vessel of the organisation was excluded from the procession only because of the prominent inscription "Do not let Belgrade D(r)own".^[22]

Activities after the demolition in Savamala

As a result of the demolition of the facilities in Hercegovacka Street, which was carried out, according to a witness, by individuals with phantom masks, at night between 24 and 25 April 2016, this citizens' movement have organised 8 massive street protests from 11 May 2016 to 15 February 2017.^[23][24]

Participation in elections

During the 2017 presidential elections, the initiative has supported several candidates from opposition organisations, including Saša Janković.

This initiative participated in Belgrade assembly elections in 2018 under the list called "Initiative do not let Belgrade drown - Yellow duck - Whose city, our city - Ksenija Radovanović", introducing political platform regarding 20 agendas.^[25][26] The initiative's electoral efforts were supported by various local movements in municipalities across Serbia, the initiative's participation was also supported by Yanis Varoufakis with his movement DiEM25, from Barcelona's mayor Ada Colau, as well as a Croatian movement "Zagreb is OURS!".^[27][28]

The initiative got 3.44% of votes, which was not enough to gain threshold for entering the city's assembly (they needed 5% or higher).^[29] Best results were acquired in municipalities Stari Grad (8.06%), Vračar (7.47%) and Savski venac (6.56%).

Activities during the Coronavirus pandemic

On 26 April 2020, the initiative have called citizens to protest against growing authoritarianism in the country by banging pots every day at 20:05.^[30][31] On 28 April, the initiative have suggested the authorities to take better control on the traffic during the pandemic, to protect the cyclists from inconsiderate drivers.^[32]

Activities regarding the air pollution and environment

The initiative have taken serious stance toward the air pollution in Serbia. They have pointed out that the air quality stations are not working (not showing the current pollution).^[33] They have made protests in the Serbian capital Belgrade.^[34]

Other activities

Since 2016, the initiative became a part of a broader coalition of similar local initiatives across Serbia,^[35] such as:

• Civic front of Serbia, nationalwide coalition^[36]
• Local front, an initiative from Kraljevo
• Association of presidents of tenant assemblies, an initiative from Niš
• Bureau of Social Research, an initiative from Belgrade
• Support RTV (Radio television of Vojvodina), an initiative from Novi Sad
• League of Romani people
• Multi-ethnic center for the region's development Danube 21, an initiative from Bor

Representatives of the initiative joined a working group to create a joint platform on fair elections and the media scene in Serbia at a meeting of the entire opposition on 12 October 2018.^[37] The movement later signed the agreement, which stemmed from these arrangements, and also took part in the One in Five Million protests.^[38]

Electoral performance

Parliamentary elections

National Assembly of Serbia

Year	Popular vote	% of popular vote	#	# of seats	Seat change	Coalition	Status
2016	Election boycott			0 / 250	0	–	Extra-parliamentary
2020	Election boycott			0 / 250	0	–	Extra-parliamentary
2022	178,733	4.84%	5th	5 / 250	5	We Must	Opposition

Presidential elections

President of Serbia

Year	Candidate	1st round popular vote		% of popular vote	2nd round popular vote		% of popular vote	Notes
2017	Saša Janković	2nd	597,728	16.63%	—	—	—	Supported Janković
2022	Biljana Stojković	6th	122,378	3.30%	—	—	—	Supported Stojković

Belgrade City Assembly elections

City Assembly of Belgrade

Year	Popular vote	% of popular vote	#	# of seats	Seat change	Coalition	Status
2018	28,017	3.14%	6th	0 / 110	0	–	Extra-parliamentary
2022	99,078	11.04%	3rd	10 / 110	10	We Must	Opposition

See also

• 2021 Serbian environmental protests
• Serbian protests (2020–2022)
• 2018–2020 Serbian protests
• 2017 Serbian protests

References

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2. Džuverović, Nemanja; Milošević, Aleksandar (2021). ""Belgrade to Belgradians, Not Foreign Capitalists": International Statebuilding, Contentious Politics, and New Forms of Political Representation in Serbia". East European Politics and Societies: And Cultures. 35 (1): 190–209. doi:10.1177/0888325420904441. ISSN 0888-3254. S2CID 219063568.
3. Feminise Politics Now: Toolkit developed by the Municipalist Movement. Madrid: Rosa Luxemburg Foundation. 2020. p. 134.
4. "Ne davimo Beograd postaje partija, koje ime je "u igri" i koji su im ciljevi". N1 (in Serbian). 20 October 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
5. "Pokret Ne davimo Beograd danas je zvanično postao stranka Zeleno-levi front". Novinska agencija Beta (in Serbian). 14 July 2023. Archived from the original on 14 July 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
6. Stojiljković, Zoran; Spasojević, Dušan (2018). "Populistički Zeitgeist u "proevropskoj" Srbiji". Politička misao: Časopis za politologiju (in Serbian). 55 (3): 104–128. doi:10.20901/pm.55.3.04. S2CID 166171942 – via Hrčak.
7. Pešić, Jelena; Petrović, Jelisaveta (2020). "The Role and the Positioning of the Left in Serbia's "One of Five Million" Protests". Balkanologie. 15 (2): 4. doi:10.4000/balkanologie.2576. S2CID 234573757 – via OpenEdition Journals.
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9. Kovačević, Miloš (3 June 2021). "An Uncertain Step Toward Marriage Equality". Heinrich Böll Foundation. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
10. Rossi, Ugo (2022). "The Existential Threat of Urban Social Extractivism: Urban Revival and the Extinction Crisis in the European South". Antipode. 54 (3): 892–913. doi:10.1111/anti.12802. ISSN 0066-4812.
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35. Torović, Marko Tašković-Vesna (12 October 2016). "SRBIJA DOBIJA NOVU OPOZICIJU Šta je Građanski front i kako planiraju da smene vlast". Blic.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 29 April 2020.
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