Serbia police clash with anti-government protesters in Belgrade
Serbian police have clashed with a huge crowd of anti-government protesters demanding an early election and end to President Aleksandar Vucic's 12-year rule in the capital Belgrade.
A sea of around 140,000 protesters rallied in the city, the largest turnout in recent months, as student-led demonstrations mount pressure on the populist government. "We want elections!" the crowd chanted.
Dozens have been arrested, with riot police seen firing tear gas and stun grenades.
President Vucic accused protesters calling for an election of being part of a foreign plot trying to usurp his country. "They wanted to topple Serbia, and they have failed," he wrote on his Instagram page.
On Friday, five people were detained, accused of plotting to overthrow the government, according to a statement from Serbia's Higher Court in Belgrade.
Following the clashes, the police minister strongly condemned violence by protesters and said those responsible would be arrested.
Months of protests across the country - including university shutdowns - have rattled Mr Vucic, whose second term ends in 2027 when there are also parliamentary elections scheduled.
Sladjana Lojanovic, 37, a farmer from the town of Sid in the north, said on Saturday she came to support students.
"The institutions have been usurped and... there is a lot of corruption. Elections are the solution, but I don't think he (Vucic) will want to go peacefully," she told Reuters.
The president has previously refused snap elections. His Progressive Party-led coalition holds 156 of 250 parliamentary seats.
Mr Vucic's opponents accuse him and his allies of ties to organised crime, corruption, violence against rivals and curbing media freedoms, which they deny.
He has maintained close ties to Russia, and Serbia - a candidate for EU membership - has not joined the Western sanctions regime imposed on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.
Protests by students, opposition, teachers, workers and farmers began last December after 16 people died on 1 November in the collapse of Novi Sad railway station's roof. Protesters blame corruption for the disaster.
The accident has already forced the former prime minister to resign.
As Saturday's protest ended, organisers played a statement to the crowd, calling for Serbians to "take freedom into your own hands" and giving them the "green light".
"The authorities had all the mechanisms and all the time to meet the demands and prevent an escalation," the organisers said in a statement on Instagram after the rally.
"Instead, they opted for violence and repression against the people. Any radicalisation of the situation is their responsibility."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Thousands block roads in another night of Serbian protests
Thousands of protesters blocked major roads in Belgrade and other Serbian cities on Sunday, as demonstrations calling for snap elections continued into a second night following Saturday's huge rally in the capital. On Saturday, around 140,000 people rallied in central Belgrade, the latest gathering in over half a year of demonstrations triggered by the collapse of a train station roof in the city of Novi Sad in November, killing 16 people in a disaster widely blamed on shoddy construction resulting from entrenched corruption. Anti-graft activists, responding to the arrest of a "large number of citizens" in the wake of the protest, called for more action - with thousands responding to set up dozens of blockades around the capital. At the key Autokomanda junction, protesters were setting up tents preparing to stay overnight, according to an AFP photographer. Protesters posted images of similar blockades from several other cities, including Novi Sad, and published plans for dozens of similar protests around the country. Local media and videos posted by protesters showed large crowds streaming onto major bridges, and students forming barriers from bins and fences. Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic told local station Pink TV that authorities were monitoring the situation. Earlier on Sunday, President Aleksandar Vucic remained defiant against protesters' demands for early elections, accusing the student-led movement of causing "terror" "Serbia has won, and you cannot defeat Serbia by violence as some wanted," Vucic said in a televised speech. -'Not a moment for withdrawal'- Clashes with police after Saturday's rally ended with dozens of arrests, as riot officers used tear gas and batons to attempt to disperse a crowd that also threw bottles and flares. Authorities said 48 officers had been injured, one seriously, and put the crowd size at 36,000 -- well below an independent estimate by the Archive of Public Gatherings of around 140,000. Dacic said 22 people had sought medical help, of whom two were seriously injured. Ahead of Sunday's blockades, eight people were arrested on accusations including planning to block roads and attack state institutions "in order to violently change the state order", the Higher Prosecutor's Office said in a statement. Police said they had detained 77 people, with 38 still in custody following Saturday's rally. "This is not a moment for withdrawal," protest organisers said on Instagram, encouraging people to gather outside the prosecutors' office and demand their release. But Vucic insisted "there will be many more arrested for attacking police. This is not the end." He said there would be "no negotiations with terrorists and those who want to destroy the state". - 'Take freedom' - Ahead of Saturday's protest, organisers had issued an "ultimatum" for Vucic to call elections -- a demand he had dismissed well before the rally began. On Sunday, he reiterated there would not be any national vote before the end of 2026. The outcry over the Novi Sad disaster has already led to the resignation of the country's prime minister and a cabinet reshuffle. Vucic has repeatedly alleged the protests are part of a foreign plot to destroy his government. More than a dozen people have been arrested in recent weeks, a crackdown that has now become routine ahead of large demonstrations. After the rally, organisers played a statement to the crowd calling for Serbians to "take freedom into your own hands". "The authorities had all the time to meet the demands and prevent an escalation," the organisers said in a statement. bur-al/ljv/gv
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Serbian leader digs in, slams early elections rally
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic insisted Sunday that he would not cave in to the 140,000 protesters who rallied in the capital overnight demanding early elections, while vowing more arrests after clashes broke out. Saturday's rally was one of the largest in more than half a year of demonstrations triggered by the roof collapse at a train station in the city of Novi Sad in November, killing 16 people -- a disaster widely blamed on entrenched corruption. Unlike previous gatherings, which took place without incident, clashes erupted between demonstrators and riot police. "Serbia has won, and you cannot defeat Serbia by violence as some wanted," Vucic said in a public address. He accused the student-led movement of causing "terror" and promised there would be more arrests over the violence. AFP journalists saw riot police using tear gas and batons as protesters hurled flares and bottles at rows of officers in several clashes following the massive gathering in Belgrade. Authorities said 48 officers were injured, one seriously, and put the crowd size at 36,000 -- well below an independent estimate by the Archive of Public Gatherings of around 140,000. Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said 22 people sought medical help, of whom two were seriously injured. - 'This is not the end' - Police detained 77 people, with 38 still in custody, according to Dacic. "There will be many more arrested for attacking police... this is not the end," Vucic said. He added that there would be "no negotiations with terrorists and those who wanted to destroy the state -- accountability follows". "Revenge must not be our language, but responsibility must be part of our consciousness," he said. Later on Sunday, six people were arrested on accusations of several crimes, including planning to block roads and attack state institutions "in order to violently change the state order", the Higher Prosecutor's Office said in a statement. An operation was ongoing, the statement said. Protest organisers meanwhile called for the release of a "large number of citizens" and "numerous students", and announced a rally in front of the prosecutor's office. "This is not a moment for withdrawal," the protest group said on Instagram. Ahead of Saturday's protest, organisers had issued an "ultimatum" for Vucic to call elections -- a demand he rejected well before the rally began. On Sunday, he reiterated there would not be any national vote before the end of 2026. The outcry over the Novi Sad disaster has already led to the resignation of the country's prime minister. Yet the governing party has kept power, with a reshuffled administration and the president still in office. Vucic has repeatedly alleged the protests are part of a foreign plot to destroy his government. More than a dozen people have been arrested in recent weeks, a crackdown that has now become routine ahead of large demonstrations. After the rally, organisers played a statement to the crowd calling for Serbians to "take freedom into your own hands" and giving them the "green light". "The authorities had all the mechanisms and all the time to meet the demands and prevent an escalation," the organisers said in a statement on Instagram. ljv/al/js
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Thousands set up street blockades in Serbia after arrests of anti-government protesters
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Thousands of people Sunday set up street blockades in Serbia, angry over the arrest of anti-government protesters who clashed with police at a massive rally a day earlier demanding early elections. Protesters put up metal fences and garbage containers at various locations in the capital Belgrade, also blocking a key bridge over the Sava river. Protesters in the northern city of Novi Sad pelted the offices of the ruling populist Serbian Progressive Party with eggs. Serbian media said similar protest blockades were organized in smaller cities in the Balkan country. Protesters on Sunday demanded that authorities release dozens of university students and other protesters who were jailed for attacking the police or for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government at the rally Saturday in Belgrade. Tens of thousands of people attended the rally held after nearly eight months of persistent dissent that has rattled populist President Aleksandar Vucic. Protesters also declared the current populist government 'illegitimate' and laid the responsibility for any violence on the government. Clashes with riot police erupted after the official part of the rally ended. Police used pepper spray, batons and shields while protesters threw rocks, bottles and other objects. Police said on Sunday that 48 officers were injured while 22 protesters sought medical help. Out of 77 people detained, 38 remained in custody Sunday, most of them facing criminal charges, said Interior Minister Ivica Dacic. At least eight more people were detained during the day, the prosecutors said. Vucic earlier Sunday announced the arrests at a press conference, accusing organizers of the rally of inciting violence and attacks on police, urging legal prosecution. He also criticized "terrorists and those who tried to bring down the state,' singling out University of Belgrade's head dean, Vladan Djokic, who was among the protesters. 'There will be more arrests,' Vucic said. 'Identification of all individuals is underway.' Anti-government protests started after a renovated rail station canopy collapsed in November, killing 16 people. Many in Serbia blamed the tragedy in the northern city of Novi Sad on corruption-fueled negligence in state infrastructure projects. Vucic has repeatedly rejected the student demand for an immediate snap vote instead of regular elections planned for 2027. 'Serbia won. You cannot destroy Serbia with violence,' Vucic said Sunday. 'They consciously wanted to spur bloodshed. The time of accountability is coming.' Critics say Vucic has become increasingly authoritarian since coming to power over a decade ago, stifling democratic freedoms while allowing corruption and organized crime to flourish. He has denied this. Serbia is formally seeking European Union entry, but Vucic's government has nourished its relations with both Russia and China.
