In Podgorica, the illegal felling of a protected 70-year-old cypress tree in Beogradska Street has sparked public outrage and mobilised residents, who are now standing guard at the site to prevent further destruction. The tree was cut down in the early hours of the morning by an unknown individual using a chainsaw, despite a ban issued by professional services and ongoing citizen protests. The location is tied to a controversial construction project by a private company that has not received the necessary permits from the city architect or relevant ministries.
The incident has raised serious questions about the rule of law, institutional accountability, and environmental protection in the city. Citizens are demanding immediate and decisive action from both local and state authorities, arguing that illegal actions by private interests are proceeding unchecked, undermining the will of the community and the authority of public institutions.
The Capital City government, including Mayor Sasa Mujovic, has publicly sided with the citizens, condemning the illegal construction and supporting calls for intervention by state bodies, particularly the Ministry of Spatial Planning and the environmental inspectorate. Political figures, such as Milos Maskovic of the European Alliance caucus in the City Assembly, have echoed these demands, calling the tree cutting a deliberate act of vandalism that must carry consequences.
As authorities deliberate, citizens are organising to protect the area themselves, insisting that the law must be upheld and that civic action will continue until those responsible are held accountable and the construction halted.
