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, 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 tragedy widely blamed on entrenched corruption.
Unlike previous gatherings, which took place without incidents, 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.
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 government 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.
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News.com.au
9 hours ago
- News.com.au
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, 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 tragedy widely blamed on entrenched corruption. Unlike previous gatherings, which took place without incidents, 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. 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 government 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.
The Advertiser
21 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Serbian police clash with anti-government protesters
Serbian police have clashed with anti-government protesters demanding snap elections and an end to the 12-year rule of President Aleksandar Vucic. Police deployed scores of officers in riot gear around government buildings, parliament and nearby Pionirski Park, where throngs of Vucic's backers from across the nation gathered in a counter-protest. After the protest ended, some who wanted to confront Vucic's supporters threw bottles, rocks and flares at the police, who used force to disperse them in several locations across Belgrade's city centre. The protesters shouted: "Keep the shields down," calling on the police to stop intervening. Police detained several dozen demonstrators, while six officers were reported injured in clashes, Dragan Vasiljevic, the director of police, told a press conference late on Saturday local time. Vucic said protesters attempted to topple the state. "They wanted to topple Serbia, and they have failed," he wrote on his Instagram page. In a statement, students accused the government of escalating tensions. "They (authorities) ... opted for violence and repression against the people. Every radicalisation of the situation is their responsibility," students wrote on the X social media platform. In a statement, Ivica Dacic, the interior minister, said police will act to maintain public order. "The police will take all measures to establish public order and peace ... and apply all its powers to repel attacks, and arrest all those who attacked the police," Dacic said. Months of protests across the nation, including university shutdowns, have rattled Vucic, a populist, whose second term ends in 2027, when there are also parliamentary elections scheduled. Vucic's opponents accuse him and his allies of ties to organised crime, violence against rivals and curbing media freedoms, something they deny. Earlier on Saturday, Vucic said unspecified "foreign powers" were behind the protest. He said police should be restrained, but warned that violence will not be tolerated. "The country will be defended, and thugs will face justice," he told reporters in Belgrade. Sladjana Lojanovic, 37, a farmer from the town of Sid in the north, said 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. In the days ahead of the protest, police arrested about a dozen anti-government activists, charging them with undermining the constitution and terrorism. All denied the charges. The Belgrade rally coincides with St Vitus Day, venerated by most Serbs, which marks the 1389 Battle of Kosovo with Ottoman Turks. Serbian police have clashed with anti-government protesters demanding snap elections and an end to the 12-year rule of President Aleksandar Vucic. Police deployed scores of officers in riot gear around government buildings, parliament and nearby Pionirski Park, where throngs of Vucic's backers from across the nation gathered in a counter-protest. After the protest ended, some who wanted to confront Vucic's supporters threw bottles, rocks and flares at the police, who used force to disperse them in several locations across Belgrade's city centre. The protesters shouted: "Keep the shields down," calling on the police to stop intervening. Police detained several dozen demonstrators, while six officers were reported injured in clashes, Dragan Vasiljevic, the director of police, told a press conference late on Saturday local time. Vucic said protesters attempted to topple the state. "They wanted to topple Serbia, and they have failed," he wrote on his Instagram page. In a statement, students accused the government of escalating tensions. "They (authorities) ... opted for violence and repression against the people. Every radicalisation of the situation is their responsibility," students wrote on the X social media platform. In a statement, Ivica Dacic, the interior minister, said police will act to maintain public order. "The police will take all measures to establish public order and peace ... and apply all its powers to repel attacks, and arrest all those who attacked the police," Dacic said. Months of protests across the nation, including university shutdowns, have rattled Vucic, a populist, whose second term ends in 2027, when there are also parliamentary elections scheduled. Vucic's opponents accuse him and his allies of ties to organised crime, violence against rivals and curbing media freedoms, something they deny. Earlier on Saturday, Vucic said unspecified "foreign powers" were behind the protest. He said police should be restrained, but warned that violence will not be tolerated. "The country will be defended, and thugs will face justice," he told reporters in Belgrade. Sladjana Lojanovic, 37, a farmer from the town of Sid in the north, said 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. In the days ahead of the protest, police arrested about a dozen anti-government activists, charging them with undermining the constitution and terrorism. All denied the charges. The Belgrade rally coincides with St Vitus Day, venerated by most Serbs, which marks the 1389 Battle of Kosovo with Ottoman Turks. Serbian police have clashed with anti-government protesters demanding snap elections and an end to the 12-year rule of President Aleksandar Vucic. Police deployed scores of officers in riot gear around government buildings, parliament and nearby Pionirski Park, where throngs of Vucic's backers from across the nation gathered in a counter-protest. After the protest ended, some who wanted to confront Vucic's supporters threw bottles, rocks and flares at the police, who used force to disperse them in several locations across Belgrade's city centre. The protesters shouted: "Keep the shields down," calling on the police to stop intervening. Police detained several dozen demonstrators, while six officers were reported injured in clashes, Dragan Vasiljevic, the director of police, told a press conference late on Saturday local time. Vucic said protesters attempted to topple the state. "They wanted to topple Serbia, and they have failed," he wrote on his Instagram page. In a statement, students accused the government of escalating tensions. "They (authorities) ... opted for violence and repression against the people. Every radicalisation of the situation is their responsibility," students wrote on the X social media platform. In a statement, Ivica Dacic, the interior minister, said police will act to maintain public order. "The police will take all measures to establish public order and peace ... and apply all its powers to repel attacks, and arrest all those who attacked the police," Dacic said. Months of protests across the nation, including university shutdowns, have rattled Vucic, a populist, whose second term ends in 2027, when there are also parliamentary elections scheduled. Vucic's opponents accuse him and his allies of ties to organised crime, violence against rivals and curbing media freedoms, something they deny. Earlier on Saturday, Vucic said unspecified "foreign powers" were behind the protest. He said police should be restrained, but warned that violence will not be tolerated. "The country will be defended, and thugs will face justice," he told reporters in Belgrade. Sladjana Lojanovic, 37, a farmer from the town of Sid in the north, said 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. In the days ahead of the protest, police arrested about a dozen anti-government activists, charging them with undermining the constitution and terrorism. All denied the charges. The Belgrade rally coincides with St Vitus Day, venerated by most Serbs, which marks the 1389 Battle of Kosovo with Ottoman Turks. Serbian police have clashed with anti-government protesters demanding snap elections and an end to the 12-year rule of President Aleksandar Vucic. Police deployed scores of officers in riot gear around government buildings, parliament and nearby Pionirski Park, where throngs of Vucic's backers from across the nation gathered in a counter-protest. After the protest ended, some who wanted to confront Vucic's supporters threw bottles, rocks and flares at the police, who used force to disperse them in several locations across Belgrade's city centre. The protesters shouted: "Keep the shields down," calling on the police to stop intervening. Police detained several dozen demonstrators, while six officers were reported injured in clashes, Dragan Vasiljevic, the director of police, told a press conference late on Saturday local time. Vucic said protesters attempted to topple the state. "They wanted to topple Serbia, and they have failed," he wrote on his Instagram page. In a statement, students accused the government of escalating tensions. "They (authorities) ... opted for violence and repression against the people. Every radicalisation of the situation is their responsibility," students wrote on the X social media platform. In a statement, Ivica Dacic, the interior minister, said police will act to maintain public order. "The police will take all measures to establish public order and peace ... and apply all its powers to repel attacks, and arrest all those who attacked the police," Dacic said. Months of protests across the nation, including university shutdowns, have rattled Vucic, a populist, whose second term ends in 2027, when there are also parliamentary elections scheduled. Vucic's opponents accuse him and his allies of ties to organised crime, violence against rivals and curbing media freedoms, something they deny. Earlier on Saturday, Vucic said unspecified "foreign powers" were behind the protest. He said police should be restrained, but warned that violence will not be tolerated. "The country will be defended, and thugs will face justice," he told reporters in Belgrade. Sladjana Lojanovic, 37, a farmer from the town of Sid in the north, said 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. In the days ahead of the protest, police arrested about a dozen anti-government activists, charging them with undermining the constitution and terrorism. All denied the charges. The Belgrade rally coincides with St Vitus Day, venerated by most Serbs, which marks the 1389 Battle of Kosovo with Ottoman Turks.
ABC News
21 hours ago
- ABC News
Serbian police clash with anti-government protesters
Serbian police have clashed with anti-government protesters demanding snap elections and an end to President Aleksandar Vučić's 12-year rule. Police on Saturday deployed scores of officers in riot gear around government buildings, parliament and nearby Pionirski Park, where throngs of Mr Vučić's backers from across the country gathered in a counter-protest. After the protest ended at about 10pm, some protesters who wanted to confront Mr Vučić's backers threw bottles, rocks and flares at the police, who used force to disperse them in several locations across Belgrade's city centre. The protesters shouted: "Keep the shields down," calling on the police to stop intervening. Police detained several dozen protesters, while six police officers were reported injured in clashes, Dragan Vasiljević, the director of police, told a press conference late on Saturday, local time. Mr Vučić said protesters attempted to topple the state. "They wanted to topple Serbia, and they have failed," he wrote on his Instagram page. In a statement, students accused the government of an escalation of tensions. "They … opted for violence and repression against the people. Every radicalisation of the situation is their responsibility," students wrote on the X social network. In a statement, Interior Minister Ivica Dačić said police would act to maintain public order. "The police will take all measures to establish public order and peace, … and apply all its powers to repel attacks, and arrest all those who attacked the police," Mr Dačić said. Months of protests across the country, including university shutdowns, have rattled Mr Vučić, a populist, whose second term ends in 2027, when parliamentary elections are scheduled. Mr Vučić's opponents accuse him and his allies of ties to organised crime, violence against rivals and curbing media freedoms, something they deny. The protesters, who want the government to heed their demands, have pledged non-violence. Mr Vučić has previously to hold refused snap elections. His Progressive Party-led coalition holds 156 of 250 parliamentary seats. Earlier on Saturday, Mr Vučić said unspecified "foreign powers" were behind the protest. He said police should be restrained but warned that violence would not be tolerated. "The country will be defended and thugs will face justice," he told reporters in Belgrade. Sladjana Lojanovic, 37, a farmer from the town of Sid in the north, said she came to support the protesting students. "The institutions have been usurped and … there is a lot of corruption. Elections are the solution, but I don't think he [Mr Vučić] will want to go peacefully," she told Reuters. In the days ahead of the protest, police arrested about a dozen anti-government activists, charging them with undermining the constitution and terrorism. All denied the charges. Protests by students, opposition, teachers, workers and farmers began last December after 16 people died on November 1 in a Novi Sad railway station roof collapse. Protesters blame corruption for the disaster. The Belgrade rally coincides with St Vitus Day, venerated by most Serbs, which marks the 1389 Battle of Kosovo with Ottoman Turks. Reuters
