Latest news with #ProgressiveParty
Al Jazeera
3 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Serbian protesters rally in Belgrade to demand snap election
Tens of thousands of anticorruption protesters have taken to the streets of Serbia's capital, Belgrade, demanding an early election in a bid to end the 12-year rule of President Aleksandar Vucic. Large numbers of officers in riot gear were deployed to police Saturday's protests, which were organised by Serbia's university students. The students were a driving force behind nationwide demonstrations that started nearly eight months ago after the deadly collapse of a renovated concrete rail station roof in the northern city of Novi Sad killed 16 people. The tragedy last November became a flashpoint for frustrations with the government, with many Serbians saying that it had been caused by alleged corruption and negligence in state infrastructure projects. Under pressure, Prime Minister Milos Vucevic resigned at the start of this year, but Vucic remains in power. Serbia's railway company halted train service over an alleged bomb threat in what critics said was an apparent bid to prevent people from travelling to Belgrade for the rally. Hours before the rally at Slavija Square and Nemanjina Avenue, Vucic's party sent in buses of its own supporters from other parts of the country, many wearing T-shirts reading: 'We won't give up Serbia'. They were joining loyalists who have been camping near Vucic's office in central Belgrade since mid-March. Vucic, a populist whose Progressive Party-led coalition holds 156 of 250 parliamentary seats, told reporters on Saturday that unspecified 'foreign powers' were behind the protest. He said police should be restrained, but warned that 'thugs will face justice'. Vucic has previously refused snap elections and has been intent on continuing his second term, which ends in 2027, when there are also parliamentary elections scheduled. But his hold on power has been rattled, with opponents accusing him and allies of ties to organised crime, violence against rivals and curbing media freedoms – charges they deny. Earlier this week, police arrested several people accused of allegedly plotting to overthrow the government and banned entry into the country, without explanation, to several people from Croatia and a theatre director from Montenegro.
Reuters
3 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Serbia's students, opposition rally to demand snap elections
BELGRADE, June 28 (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.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Crowds flocked to see Teddy Roosevelt on a whistle-stop tour in 1914
Former President Theodore 'Teddy' Roosevelt did a whistle-stop tour of Schuylkill County towns in October 1914. After arriving in Tamaqua on October 26, he journeyed to Pottsville, where he spoke at the Hippodrome Theater. After that, he made brief stops in Shenandoah, Mahanoy City, Ashland, Mount Carmel and on to a speaking engagement in Williamsport. He was not running for president, but campaigning for John Robert Jones, a Schuylkill County Republican running for a second term in the House of Representatives. Initially serving as vice president, Roosevelt became president after William McKinley was assassinated in September 1901. He was elected president in 1904 and served until 1909. A Republican, he split with the party and ran unsuccessfully for president as the Progressive Party candidate in 1912. As much a folk icon as a politician, Col. Roosevelt was accorded hero status for leading the Rough Riders in the charge up San Juan Hill in Cuba during the Spanish-American War in 1898. His foreign policy, often referred to as 'speak softly and carry a big stick,' was popular with the American public. Referred to as Colonel post-presidency, he was given what the Pottsville Republican called a 'royal welcome' when he arrived at the Reading Railroad Station in Pottsville. 'Here comes the Colonel,' the crowd shouted as the train bearing a huge banner arrived just before 1 p.m. He shook hands with people in the crowd and, when he tipped his hat, a huge cheer erupted. With Col. Daniel Nagle, a Civil War veteran, Teddy rode to the Hippodrome in an open car as thousands lined the streets. An immense crowd cheered him as he arrived at the Hippodrome Theater, which was on East Market Street. 'I have come to your state to speak for decency and honesty in public life,' he said. 'I am glad to come here and speak for Mr. Jones, who led the fight for decency and righteousness in the last session of the legislature.' Jones supported the Corrupt Practices Act, which would have made public the names of donors to political campaigns. It was not adopted. Roosevelt also asked for support of Gifford Pinchot, a conservationist who was the Progressive Party candidate for U.S. Senate in 1914. Pinchot, who accompanied Roosevelt on his tour, would later become governor of Pennsylvania. The Pottsville Republican pulled no punches in its opposition to Roosevelt's progressive philosophy. While acknowledging he was in 'a hot bed of admiration,' the Republican said Roosevelt was in a community that was in no way sympathetic to his current political interests. 'If Theodore Roosevelt were himself a candidate for office on the Republican ticket, he could go from the county with an almost unanimous vote,' the Republican reported in an editorial. 'But he is wrong in this particular campaign, and in his heart he must know that he is wrong, unless he has been firmly converted to the cause of Democracy.' A Pottsville reception committee met Roosevelt in Tamaqua. Its members included Dr. Francis Boyer, chairman, Nathan S. Beddall, S. S. Weiss and E. G. Underwood. Upon arriving in Tamaqua, 10-year-old Thelma Reiner presented the former president with a bouquet of American Beauty roses. The girl and her family rode on the special train with Roosevelt to Pottsville. Roosevelt waved to his hat at a Tamaqua crowd that was curb-to-curb on Broad Street. 'It was his hat, a large round-brimmed black hat with several dinges in the crown that challenges your attention when your eyes wander from the good natured face of the former president,' a reporter wrote. 'He gives you the impression of a powerful and wonderful quickness and alertness, seemingly conscious of what is doing on all sides of him,' the reporter continued. 'You are impressed that he is a leader and a fighter, his huge shoulders well thrown back, and his feet planted firmly apart.' Roosevelt was 60 years old when he died in his home on Oyster Bay, New York, on Jan. 6, 1919.
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Thousands attend pro-Serbia government rally after months of unrest
Tens of thousands of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's supporters have held a rally in Belgrade following months of unrest across the country. A monitoring organisation said around 55,000 people had gathered in front of the National Assembly. Despite some Vucic followers travelling from neighbouring countries, attendance was significantly lower than last month's huge anti-government protest. There have been regular demonstrations in Serbia since November when the collapse of a railway station canopy in the city of Novi Sad killed 15 people, triggering widespread public anger. A number of Serbians blamed the incident on alleged corruption and corner-cutting by Vucic's Progressive Party. The Serbian leader had promoted the rally on Saturday as the launch of a "Movement for the People and the State", which would "save" Serbia from forces working to "destroy" the country. In a speech at the event, he called on prosecutors to work to restore order and peace. He claimed the student-led protests had been threatening Serbia's peace and stability, accusing attendees of being paid by "foreign intelligence agencies". "Certain foreign powers cannot bear to see a free, independent and sovereign Serbia", he said, without clarifying which "powers" he was referring to. Vucic also criticised national broadcaster RTS, describing it as a "key participant" in an attempted "colour revolution". After the Novi Sad incident last November, some blamed what had happened on more than a decade of governing by the Progressive Party of Vucic - who closely associated himself with the station's prior renovation. It was considered a key part of the government's flagship infrastructure project - the high-speed line from Belgrade to Budapest in Hungary. The demonstrations that followed the disaster saw attendees use the slogan "corruption kills". They claimed that the opaque procurement procedures the government used for infrastructure projects had enriched a few favoured contractors while putting public safety at risk. Despite multiple resignations - and Vucic's insistence that he was going nowhere - protests grew. Last month, hundreds of thousands of people descended on Serbia's capital. An independent monitor estimated 325,000 - if not more - had gathered, making it Serbia's largest protest ever. Government denies using 'sonic cannon' at Serbia protests Fury over Serbia station tragedy prompts first arrests
BBC News
13-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Thousands attend pro-Serbia government rally after months of unrest
Tens of thousands of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's supporters have held a rally in Belgrade following months of unrest across the country.A monitoring organisation said around 55,000 people had gathered in front of the National Assembly. Despite some Vucic followers travelling from neighbouring countries, attendance was significantly lower than last month's huge anti-government have been regular demonstrations in Serbia since November when the collapse of a railway station canopy in the city of Novi Sad killed 15 people, triggering widespread public anger.A number of Serbians blamed the incident on alleged corruption and corner-cutting by Vucic's Progressive Party. The Serbian leader had promoted the rally on Saturday as the launch of a "Movement for the People and the State", which would "save" Serbia from forces working to "destroy" the a speech at the event, he called on prosecutors to work to restore order and peace. He claimed the student-led protests had been threatening Serbia's peace and stability, accusing attendees of being paid by "foreign intelligence agencies"."Certain foreign powers cannot bear to see a free, independent and sovereign Serbia", he said, without clarifying which "powers" he was referring to. Vucic also criticised national broadcaster RTS, describing it as a "key participant" in an attempted "colour revolution". After the Novi Sad incident last November, some blamed what had happened on more than a decade of governing by the Progressive Party of Vucic - who closely associated himself with the station's prior was considered a key part of the government's flagship infrastructure project - the high-speed line from Belgrade to Budapest in demonstrations that followed the disaster saw attendees use the slogan "corruption kills". They claimed that the opaque procurement procedures the government used for infrastructure projects had enriched a few favoured contractors while putting public safety at multiple resignations - and Vucic's insistence that he was going nowhere - protests month, hundreds of thousands of people descended on Serbia's independent monitor estimated 325,000 - if not more - had gathered, making it Serbia's largest protest ever.
