Serbia clashes continue for second day amid antigovernment protests
The president's supporters and antigovernment demonstrators launched flares and other objects at each other in the northern city of Novi Sad on Wednesday evening, requiring the intervention of riot police, according to local media.
Meanwhile, thousands gathered for protests in other parts of the country, mostly outside local headquarters of Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party.
In Belgrade, riot police used tear gas to disperse antigovernment demonstrators in one area.
Elsewhere, riot police separated the opposing groups in the central town of Kraljevo, with protests also taking place in the southern city of Nis and in the central towns of Cacak and Kragujevac.
Interior Minister Ivica Dacic called for the 'return of law and order', while Vucic labelled the antigovernment demonstrators 'thugs', a familiar refrain from the government in characterising opponents.
The clashes first began on Tuesday night in Vrbas, northwest of the capital Belgrade, where riot police separated the two groups outside the governing Serbian Progressive Party offices in the town.
The student-led protests in Serbia first started in November after a train station canopy collapsed in the northern city of Novi Sad, killing 16 people, triggering furious accusations of corruption in state infrastructure projects.
Serbia's president, other government officials and pro-government media have repeatedly described the protesters as 'terrorists', although protests since November have been largely peaceful.
Led by university students, the protesters are demanding that Vucic call an early parliamentary election, which he has refused to do.
Images from the scene showed government supporters throwing flares, rocks and bottles at the protesters, who hurled back various objects. Police said that dozens of people were injured, including 16 police officers.
Similar incidents were reported at protests in other parts of the country.
Police said that several people were detained in Vrbas. Police Commissioner Dragan Vasiljevic told state-run RTS television that the protesters 'came to attack' the governing party's supporters outside the party's offices.
Protesters have said that government supporters attacked them first in Vrbas and also further south in Backa Palanka, and later in Novi Sad and the southern city of Nis. In Belgrade, riot police pushed away protesters who gathered in a downtown area.
Vucic said at a news conference on Wednesday with Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker that pro-democracy protests in Serbia have been 'very violent and were violent last night'.
Protests have, since November, drawn hundreds of thousands of people, rattling Vucic's long-running presidency. The Serbian leader's supporters have recently started organising counter-demonstrations, fuelling fears of further violence.
Serbia is formally seeking European Union membership, but Vucic has maintained strong ties with Russia and China, and has been accused of stifling democratic freedoms since coming to power 13 years ago.
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Al Jazeera
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Protesters in northern Serbia target governing party's HQ as clashes escalate
Thousands of protesters took to the streets across Serbia, smashing windows of the governing party's headquarters in the northern city of Novi Sad, where the country's antigovernment revolt started more than nine months ago. The protesters came out in force for a third night on Thursday, following major clashes earlier in the week that saw dozens detained or injured, demanding that President Aleksandar Vucic call an early election. In Novi Sad, where a train station canopy collapsed last year, killing 16 people and creating public anger over alleged corruption in infrastructure projects, protesters attacked the offices of the governing Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), carrying away furniture and documents, and splashing paint on the entrance. 'He is finished,' they shouted, with reference to the president as they demolished the offices. The police and Vucic's supporters, who have guarded the office in Serbia's second-largest city for months, were nowhere to be seen. In Belgrade, the Serbian capital, hundreds of protesters and SNS supporters threw flares and firecrackers at each other on one of the city's main boulevards. Police fired tear gas at least two locations to disperse the protesters and keep the opposing camps apart. Similar protests were held in towns across the country. Vucic told pro-government Informer television that 'the state will win' as he announced a crackdown on antigovernment protesters, accusing them of inciting violence and of being 'enemies of their own country'. 'I think it is clear they did not want peace and Gandhian protests. There will be more arrests,' he said during the broadcast. He reiterated earlier claims that the protests have been organised from abroad, offering no evidence. The previous night, there were gatherings at some 90 locations in the country, according to Interior Minister Ivica Dacic the following day. Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said that 47 people were arrested in Wednesday's clashes, with about 80 civilians and 27 police officers left injured. The EU's Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said on X that the reports of violence were 'deeply concerning'. 'Advancing on the EU path requires citizens can express their views freely and journalists can report without intimidation or attacks,' Kos said on X. The Serbian president denies allegations of allowing organised crime and corruption to flourish in the country, which is a candidate for European Union membership.
Al Jazeera
15 hours ago
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Serbia protests over government turn violent as rival groups clash
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Al Jazeera
21 hours ago
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Serbia clashes continue for second day amid antigovernment protests
Clashes in Serbia have continued for a second day as opponents and supporters of the Serbian government faced off, each side staging its own demonstrations, following more than nine months of sustained protests against populist President Aleksandar Vucic. The president's supporters and antigovernment demonstrators launched flares and other objects at each other in the northern city of Novi Sad on Wednesday evening, requiring the intervention of riot police, according to local media. Meanwhile, thousands gathered for protests in other parts of the country, mostly outside local headquarters of Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party. In Belgrade, riot police used tear gas to disperse antigovernment demonstrators in one area. Elsewhere, riot police separated the opposing groups in the central town of Kraljevo, with protests also taking place in the southern city of Nis and in the central towns of Cacak and Kragujevac. Interior Minister Ivica Dacic called for the 'return of law and order', while Vucic labelled the antigovernment demonstrators 'thugs', a familiar refrain from the government in characterising opponents. The clashes first began on Tuesday night in Vrbas, northwest of the capital Belgrade, where riot police separated the two groups outside the governing Serbian Progressive Party offices in the town. The student-led protests in Serbia first started in November after a train station canopy collapsed in the northern city of Novi Sad, killing 16 people, triggering furious accusations of corruption in state infrastructure projects. Serbia's president, other government officials and pro-government media have repeatedly described the protesters as 'terrorists', although protests since November have been largely peaceful. Led by university students, the protesters are demanding that Vucic call an early parliamentary election, which he has refused to do. Images from the scene showed government supporters throwing flares, rocks and bottles at the protesters, who hurled back various objects. Police said that dozens of people were injured, including 16 police officers. Similar incidents were reported at protests in other parts of the country. Police said that several people were detained in Vrbas. Police Commissioner Dragan Vasiljevic told state-run RTS television that the protesters 'came to attack' the governing party's supporters outside the party's offices. Protesters have said that government supporters attacked them first in Vrbas and also further south in Backa Palanka, and later in Novi Sad and the southern city of Nis. In Belgrade, riot police pushed away protesters who gathered in a downtown area. Vucic said at a news conference on Wednesday with Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker that pro-democracy protests in Serbia have been 'very violent and were violent last night'. Protests have, since November, drawn hundreds of thousands of people, rattling Vucic's long-running presidency. The Serbian leader's supporters have recently started organising counter-demonstrations, fuelling fears of further violence. Serbia is formally seeking European Union membership, but Vucic has maintained strong ties with Russia and China, and has been accused of stifling democratic freedoms since coming to power 13 years ago.
