Serbian riot police fire tear gas at anti-government protesters
The major rally in Belgrade against Serbia's populist president, Aleksandar Vucic, was called to back the demand for an early parliamentary election.
The protest, attended by tens of thousands of people, was held after nearly eight months of persistent demonstrations led by Serbia's university students that have rattled Mr Vucic's firm grip on power in the Balkan country.
The huge crowd chanted 'We want elections!' as they filled the capital's central Slavija Square and several blocks around it, with many unable to reach the venue.
Tensions were high before and during the gathering. Riot police were deployed around government buildings and close to a camp of Mr Vucic's loyalists in central Belgrade.
Skirmishes erupted between riot officers and groups of protesters near the camp.
Students gave speeches to the crowd. One, who didn't give her name, said: 'Elections are a clear way out of the social crisis caused by the deeds of the government, which is undoubtedly against the interests of their own people.
'Today, on June 28 2025, we declare the current authorities illegitimate.'
At the end of the official part of the rally, students told the crowd to 'take freedom into your own hands.'
University students have been a key force behind nationwide anti-corruption demonstrations that started after a renovated rail station canopy collapsed, killing 16 people on November 1 2024.
Many blamed the concrete roof crash on rampant government corruption and negligence in state infrastructure projects, leading to recurring mass protests.
'We are here today because we cannot take it any more,' Darko Kovacevic said. 'This has been going on for too long. We are mired in corruption.'
Mr Vucic and his right-wing Serbian Progressive Party have repeatedly refused the demand for an early vote and accused protesters of planning to spur violence on orders from abroad, which they didn't specify.
The president's authorities have launched a crackdown on Serbia's striking universities and other opponents, while increasing pressure on independent media as they tried to curb the demonstrations.
While numbers have shrunk in recent weeks, the massive showing for Saturday's anti-Vucic rally suggested that the resolve persists, despite relentless pressure and after nearly eight months of almost daily protests.
Serbian police, which is firmly controlled by Mr Vucic's government, said that 36,000 people were present at the start of the protest on Saturday.
Saturday marks St Vitus Day, a religious holiday and the date when Serbs mark a 14th-century battle against Ottoman Turks in Kosovo that was the start of hundreds of years of Turkish rule, holding symbolic importance.
In their speeches, some of the speakers at the student rally on Saturday evoked the theme, which was also used to fuel Serbian nationalism in the 1990s, which later led to the incitement of ethnic wars following the breakup of the former Yugoslavia.
Hours before the student-led rally, Mr Vucic's party bused in scores of its own supporters to Belgrade from other parts of the country, many wearing T-shirts with slogans including: 'We won't give up Serbia'.
They were joining a camp of Mr Vucic's loyalists in central Belgrade, where they have been staying in tents since mid-March.
In a show of business as usual, Mr Vucic handed out presidential awards in the capital to people he deemed worthy, including artists and journalists.
'People need not worry — the state will be defended and thugs brought to justice,' Mr Vucic told reporters on Saturday.
Serbian presidential and parliamentary elections are due in 2027.
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.
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.
Authorities made similar moves back in March, before what was the biggest ever anti-government protest in the Balkan country, which drew hundreds of thousands of people. Mr Vucic's loyalists then set up a camp in a park outside his office, which still stands.
The otherwise peaceful gathering on March 15 came to an abrupt end when part of the crowd suddenly scattered in panic, triggering allegations that authorities used a sonic weapon against peaceful protesters — an accusation officials have denied.
Mr Vucic, a former extreme nationalist, has become increasingly authoritarian since coming to power more than a decade ago. Though he formally says he wants Serbia to join the European Union, critics say he has stifled democratic freedoms as he strengthened ties with Russia and China.
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Sky News
3 hours ago
- Sky News
Riot police clash with protesters calling for end to Serbian president's rule
Serbian riot police have clashed with anti-government protesters calling for snap elections and an end to the 12-year rule of President Aleksandar Vucic. The protest by tens of thousands of demonstrators was held in Belgrade on Saturday after months of persistent demonstrations led by Serbia 's university students that have rattled Mr Vucic's grip on power. The crowd chanted "We want elections!" as they filled the capital's central Slavija Square and several streets around it. Students gave speeches. One, who didn't give her name, said: "Elections are a clear way out of the social crisis caused by the deeds of the government, which is undoubtedly against the interests of their own people. "Today, on June 28 2025, we declare the current authorities illegitimate." Tensions were high before and during the gathering. Riot police had been deployed around government buildings, parliament and nearby Pionirski Park, where hundreds of Mr Vucic's loyalists from across the country have been camping for months. As the protest ended in the evening, some demonstrators threw bottles, rocks and flares at the police who were preventing the crowd from approaching Pionirski Park and confronting Mr Vucic's backers. Skirmishes between riot officers and groups of protesters lasted for several hours, with police firing tear gas to disperse crowds in several locations across Belgrade's city centre. Police detained several dozen protesters, while six officers were reported injured in the clashes, Dragan Vasiljevic, the director of police, told a news conference late on Saturday. Responding to the violence, President Vucic said in an Instagram post: "Serbia always wins in the end." University students have been a key force behind nationwide demonstrations that started after a renovated rail station canopy collapsed, killing 16 people in November last year. Many blamed the concrete roof crash on government corruption and negligence in state infrastructure projects, leading to recurring protests. President Vucic and his right-wing Serbian Progressive Party have repeatedly refused the demand for an early parliamentary vote and accused protesters of planning to spur violence on orders from abroad, which they have not specified. A former extreme nationalist, Mr Vucic has become increasingly authoritarian since coming to power more than a decade ago. He formally says he wants Serbia to join the European Union, but critics say he has stifled democratic freedoms and strengthened ties with Russia and China. While demonstrations have shrunk in recent weeks, the large showing for Saturday's rally suggested that the resolve persists, despite relentless pressure and after nearly eight months of almost daily protests. Serbian police, who are tightly controlled by Mr Vucic's government, said 36,000 people were present at the start of Saturday's protest. An independent monitoring group that records public gatherings said a total of around 140,000 people were in attendance. Serbia's presidential and parliamentary elections are due in 2027.
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Serbia police clash with protesters calling for early election
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 have been arrested, with riot police seen firing tear gas and stun 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 the clashes, the police minister strongly condemned violence by protesters and said those responsible would be 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 president has previously refused snap elections. His Progressive Party-led coalition holds 156 of 250 parliamentary Vucic's opponents accuse him and his allies of ties to organised crime, corruption, violence against rivals and curbing media freedoms, which they 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 accident has already forced the former prime minister to 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."
Powys County Times
4 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Serbian riot police fire tear gas at anti-government protesters
Riot police fired tear gas at thousands of anti-government protesters in Serbia's capital on Saturday. The major rally in Belgrade against Serbia's populist president, Aleksandar Vucic, was called to back the demand for an early parliamentary election. The protest, attended by tens of thousands of people, was held after nearly eight months of persistent demonstrations led by Serbia's university students that have rattled Mr Vucic's firm grip on power in the Balkan country. The huge crowd chanted 'We want elections!' as they filled the capital's central Slavija Square and several blocks around it, with many unable to reach the venue. Tensions were high before and during the gathering. Riot police were deployed around government buildings and close to a camp of Mr Vucic's loyalists in central Belgrade. Skirmishes erupted between riot officers and groups of protesters near the camp. Students gave speeches to the crowd. One, who didn't give her name, said: 'Elections are a clear way out of the social crisis caused by the deeds of the government, which is undoubtedly against the interests of their own people. 'Today, on June 28 2025, we declare the current authorities illegitimate.' At the end of the official part of the rally, students told the crowd to 'take freedom into your own hands.' University students have been a key force behind nationwide anti-corruption demonstrations that started after a renovated rail station canopy collapsed, killing 16 people on November 1 2024. Many blamed the concrete roof crash on rampant government corruption and negligence in state infrastructure projects, leading to recurring mass protests. 'We are here today because we cannot take it any more,' Darko Kovacevic said. 'This has been going on for too long. We are mired in corruption.' Mr Vucic and his right-wing Serbian Progressive Party have repeatedly refused the demand for an early vote and accused protesters of planning to spur violence on orders from abroad, which they didn't specify. The president's authorities have launched a crackdown on Serbia's striking universities and other opponents, while increasing pressure on independent media as they tried to curb the demonstrations. While numbers have shrunk in recent weeks, the massive showing for Saturday's anti-Vucic rally suggested that the resolve persists, despite relentless pressure and after nearly eight months of almost daily protests. Serbian police, which is firmly controlled by Mr Vucic's government, said that 36,000 people were present at the start of the protest on Saturday. Saturday marks St Vitus Day, a religious holiday and the date when Serbs mark a 14th-century battle against Ottoman Turks in Kosovo that was the start of hundreds of years of Turkish rule, holding symbolic importance. In their speeches, some of the speakers at the student rally on Saturday evoked the theme, which was also used to fuel Serbian nationalism in the 1990s, which later led to the incitement of ethnic wars following the breakup of the former Yugoslavia. Hours before the student-led rally, Mr Vucic's party bused in scores of its own supporters to Belgrade from other parts of the country, many wearing T-shirts with slogans including: 'We won't give up Serbia'. They were joining a camp of Mr Vucic's loyalists in central Belgrade, where they have been staying in tents since mid-March. In a show of business as usual, Mr Vucic handed out presidential awards in the capital to people he deemed worthy, including artists and journalists. 'People need not worry — the state will be defended and thugs brought to justice,' Mr Vucic told reporters on Saturday. Serbian presidential and parliamentary elections are due in 2027. 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. 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. Authorities made similar moves back in March, before what was the biggest ever anti-government protest in the Balkan country, which drew hundreds of thousands of people. Mr Vucic's loyalists then set up a camp in a park outside his office, which still stands. The otherwise peaceful gathering on March 15 came to an abrupt end when part of the crowd suddenly scattered in panic, triggering allegations that authorities used a sonic weapon against peaceful protesters — an accusation officials have denied. Mr Vucic, a former extreme nationalist, has become increasingly authoritarian since coming to power more than a decade ago. Though he formally says he wants Serbia to join the European Union, critics say he has stifled democratic freedoms as he strengthened ties with Russia and China.
