Serbia's police use tear gas as they clash with anti-government protesters in Belgrade

France 24

2 days ago

Police fired tear gas at anti-government protesters in downtown Belgrade as they clashed for the third day on Friday in the Serbian capital and other cities amid reports of police brutality and excessive use of force during the unrest.
The anti-government rallies were held on Friday night across Serbia under the slogan: 'Let's show them we are not a punching bag." Police deployed armored vehicles in parts of the capital as protesters faced off against riot police separating them from pro-government supporters in downtown Belgrade.
Groups of protesters, most of them wearing facemasks, fired flares and threw rocks and eggs at the riot police, who charged them while mounted on armored vehicles in the wide boulevard in front of the Serbian government headquarters.
Some people were seen getting first aid, but there were no immediate reports of how many were injured.
Thrash cannisters were rolled onto the streets, some set on fire. The chaotic scenes in Belgrade were repeated in similar clashes in several other cities and towns.
Earlier Friday, Serbian police said they detained hundreds of demonstrators who took part in anti-government protests throughout the country this week.
The three days of clashes between the police and loyalists of autocratic President Aleksandar Vucic on one side and the anti-government protesters on the other have left dozens injured or detained. The unrest marked a serious escalation of more than nine months of largely peaceful demonstrations led by Serbia's university students that have shaken Vucic's firm grip on power in the Balkan country.
The protests that rattled Vucic first started in November, after the collapse of a renovated train station canopy in Serbia's north killed 16 people. Many blame the tragedy on alleged corruption-fueled negligence in state infrastructure projects.
Vucic praised the police for their conduct during the latest demonstrations, saying he will propose additional bonuses for the officers. Speaking with state television broadcaster RTS, he repeated his claim that the protests were inspired by the West with the intention of toppling him from power. He has not provided any evidence for the claim.
Several social media posts from this week show baton-wielding riot police beating people to the ground and then kicking them with their boots before they were handcuffed. The apparent targets were often women and young people.
Serbia's Interior Minister Ivica Dacic denied Friday that police used excessive force, blaming the demonstrators for allegedly attacking the officers, who were protecting themselves with riot shields.
'The police were massively and brutally attacked without any provocation. There were violent attempts to breach the cordons,' Dacic said. 'Last night, 75 police officers were injured, and several vehicles were damaged. Those who spread lies about police brutality should comment on this fact.'
Opposition leaders called for Dacic to be removed from office.
'They are beating up people on the streets,' said opposition leader Dragan Djilas. 'They also beat up politicians, literally anyone who opposes Aleksandar Vucic, with the clear goal of inflicting serious bodily harm on them.'
Another social media video purported to show several young detainees kneeling with their faces to the wall as police officers stood to attention behind them. Some of the apparent detainees had bloodstains on their backs.
The EU's Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos earlier this week said the reports of violence at the protests were 'deeply concerning.'
Serbia is formally seeking EU membership, but Vucic has maintained strong ties with Russia and China. The Serbian president has faced accusations of stifling democratic freedoms while allowing organized crime and corruption to flourish. He has denied this.