Latest news with #BattleofKosovo
The Advertiser
29-06-2025
- Politics
- 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.
Perth Now
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
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.
The Hindu
28-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Serbia's police clashes with anti-government protesters
Serbian police on Saturday (June 29, 2025) evening 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 country gathered in a counter-protest. After the protest ended at around 10 p.m. (2000 GMT) some protesters who wanted to confront Vucic's backers threw flares at police, while the police used pepper spray to disperse them. The protesters shouted: "Keep the shields down," calling on the police to stop intervening. Months of protests across the country, including university shutdowns, have rattled Vucic, a populist, whose second term ends in 2027, when there are also parliamentary elections scheduled. Mr. Vucic's opponents accuse him and his allies of ties to organised crime, violence against rivals and curbing media freedoms, something they deny. The student protest is set to last until 9 p.m. (1900 GMT) at Slavija Square and Nemanjina Avenue, where most of the government offices are located. The protesters, who want the government to heed their demands by the end of the protest, have pledged non-violence. Mr. Vucic has previously refused snap elections. His Progressive Party-led coalition holds 156 of 250 parliamentary seats. On Saturday, Mr. 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. 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.
The Star
28-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Serbia's students, opposition rally to demand snap elections
A drone view shows Serbian students and other demonstrators participating in an anti-government protest demanding snap elections at the Slavija square, in Belgrade, Serbia, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Djordje Kojadinovic BELGRADE (Reuters) -Tens of thousands of students and anti-corruption protesters rallied in Belgrade on Saturday, 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 country gathered in a counter-protest. Months of protests across the country, 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. The student protest is set to last until 9 p.m. (1900 GMT) at Slavija Square and Nemanjina Avenue, where most of the government offices are located. The protesters, who want the government to heed their demands by the end of the protest, have pledged non-violence. Vucic has previously refused snap elections. His Progressive Party-led coalition holds 156 of 250 parliamentary seats. 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. 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. (Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic and Ivana Sekularac; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Jane Merriman)
DW
25-06-2025
- Politics
- DW
Serbia's students plan major rally after issuing 'ultimatum' – DW – 06/25/2025
Faced with mounting pressure from the authorities, Serbia's students have issued an "ultimatum" to the government to call snap elections and are urging citizens to continue the push for change. As Belgrade's asphalt shimmers in blistering 40-degree sunshine, the city is bracing for heat of a very different kind: Students have scheduled another major protest for Saturday. All eyes are on the Serbian capital, and both anticipation and uncertainty across the country are rising as students remain tight-lipped about their plans and the exact location and timing of the demonstration. The protest has the potential to be a turning point because the students have issued what they are calling an "ultimatum" to the Serbian government, demanding the announcement by 9 p.m. on June 28 that the government will ask the president to dissolve parliament, paving the way for snap elections. "Should the stated demands not be met within the given timeframe, we expect that the citizens of Serbia will be ready to take all available measures of civil disobedience to protect their basic right to a free and legitimate democratic system," the students wrote in an open letter to the Serbian government. The upcoming protest comes after eight months of protests, during which students and citizens have demanded political and criminal accountability for the collapse last November of the canopy at the entrance to Novi Sad Railway Station, which killed 16 people. The day chosen for the protest carries particular weight in Serbia. Vidovdan is a national and religious holiday that falls on June 28. Deeply rooted in Serbian history and mythology, it has often coincided with decisive events and historical turning points in the country's history such as the 1389 Battle of Kosovo and a number of pivotal political events in the 20th century. In the meantime, the government has increased pressure on universities. For four months now, university professors have been surviving on one-eighth of their salaries as the government refuses to pay salaries for the period during which classes were halted due to student blockades. The state insists that the unpaid salaries will only be paid once the missed classes have been made up. Universities are now scrambling to do that even as the blockades continue. While some have shifted to online lectures, others are distributing reading material and hoping that students will manage on their own. In institutions where practical skills are an essential part of the course, professors warn that these solutions are educationally and legally unacceptable. "This is clear to professors pretending to teach, to students who are not participating in such teaching and most of all to the state that forced us into this form of instruction," says Jelena Kleut, a professor at the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Novi Sad. "The only fair response is to reject such teaching, and some colleagues have done just that — regardless of the consequences," she told DW. But the heaviest burden is borne by the students themselves. Many are refusing to go along with such forms of tuition, even though the end of the academic year is approaching and no one knows what will happen next. "If the state begins retaliating against students, we could end up with entire classes repeating the year and losing their student status. I don't think that will happen — the scale would be enormous — but we've seen the government do things we once thought impossible," says Kleut. High school seniors face even greater uncertainty: Instead of preparing for university entrance exams, they are waiting to see what the state will do. The government has yet to authorize universities to enroll new students. Kleut finds it unacceptable that these students are being used as pawns in the standoff between the government and academia. "But they have been a very rebellious part of society, too. They blocked their high schools . Perhaps the government simply doesn't like the idea of a whole new rebellious generation appearing on university campuses," Kleut adds. Repression in Serbia is spreading — not only targeting protesters, but also anyone who has supported them over the past eight months. Three teachers at Svetozar Miletic High School in the small town of Srbobran were fired for suspending classes in solidarity with the students. One of them was Slavica Filipovic, who has helped 24 years of students to graduate from high school. "I bowed deeply to them all and locked my classroom," she wrote on Facebook. "It was wonderful being your teacher. It truly enriched my life. Remember: Learn, because knowledge can't be taken from you. And please, have your own opinion. Be yourselves, no matter the cost." Without warning, the government also revoked tax incentives for the IT sector, one of the loudest supporters of the protests and a key source of support for unpaid teachers. Cultural institutions have also faced consequences. Those that supported the students — by expressing solidarity, going on strike or protesting — have lost government funding. "The regime clearly has a problem with those parts of society where entire communities stand against it. Everyone who didn't explicitly support the current government has been punished," says Gojko Bozovic, founder and editor-in-chief of the publishing house Arhipelag. But despite all this, people in Serbia are not backing down. Every day at 11:52 a.m. — the exact minute the canopy collapsed in Novi Sad — protesters stop traffic and block roads. In silence and persistence, they honor the victims and refuse to let the tragedy be forgotten — like so many others before it. The students believe that the only path to justice is a new political distribution of power. They say they are fully aware of the deeply irregular electoral conditions in Serbia and the engineering of results, but believe that a united front across society can shake the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). They came close in recent local elections in Kosjeric and Zajecar, where the SNS won by a narrow margin. President Aleksandar Vucic, however, is adamant that no elections will be held before 2026. Can the students get him to budge? Those who spoke to DW are skeptical. Professor Kleut feels that only an overwhelming push would result in a breakthrough. "And we'll see on June 28 how many citizens are ready to be part of that pressure," she says. Kleut notes that while public dissatisfaction has not gone away, the fatigue is real, and the sense of urgency has faded. "I think the dissatisfaction is just as strong as it was in December, but the feeling that something must happen immediately … that may have been lost. And I believe it'll be easier to rekindle that feeling in the fall, rather than in July or August." So, depending on how things develop on Saturday, Serbia might not only be in for a meteorologically hot summer, but for a politically hot fall — provided the students can hold out until then.
