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
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
European rabbis cancel Sarajevo event after minister's boycott call
The Conference of European Rabbis (CER) has cancelled its upcoming meeting in Sarajevo after a minister called for a boycott of the event, the organization's president said on Wednesday. Calls by Adnan Delić, the labour minister of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH), led the hotel hosting the event to cancel the booking, CER President and Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt said. The FBiH is one of the two political entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, alongside the Republika Srpska. In a post on Facebook, Delić denounced Israel's role in the war in the Gaza Strip and demanded that Sarajevo not become a "venue for supporting genocide." "We have been made unwelcome, and this last-minute, ministerial boycott of Jewish European citizens, dedicated to purely to promoting Jewish life in Europe and furthering dialogue and democracy across the continent, is disgraceful," Goldschmidt wrote in a statement. He thanked the German city of Munich for agreeing at the last minute to host the meeting, planned for June 16-18. During the Bosnian war from 1992-95, 11,000 citizens lost their lives in Sarajevo, when the city was besieged by Serbian troops. The war killed almost 100,000 people and displaced 2 million. Today, Bosnia and Herzegovina is home to large populations of Muslim Bosniaks, Orthodox Serbs and Catholic Croats. Delić wrote that the CER had misused Sarajevo as a place "to send a message legitimizing the occupation and systematic destruction of the Palestinian people." Goldschmidt rejected this, emphasizing that CER events promote dialogue and calling the cancellation "Sarajevo's loss." The CER has around 1,000 members and 800 active rabbis in its ranks. According to its own statements, it advocates for the religious rights of Jews in Europe and is committed to religious freedom and interfaith dialogue with other faiths.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Zelensky urges 'stronger' EU sanctions on Russia, lower oil price cap
President Volodymyr Zelensky on June 11 called on the European Union to impose tougher sanctions against Russia, arguing that stronger financial pressure is necessary to curb Moscow's war effort. Speaking at the Ukraine-Southeast Europe Summit in Odesa, Zelensky said the upcoming 18th EU sanctions package "could be stronger," especially in targeting Russian oil tankers and the financial sector. He urged the EU to further reduce the price cap on Russian oil exports. "A ceiling of $45 per barrel of oil is better than $60, that's clear, that's true. But real peace will come with a ceiling of $30," he said. "That's the level that will really change the mindset in Moscow." After the 17th package of sanctions against Russia took effect on May 20, Ukraine's allies announced the following day that another round of restrictions was already in the works. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on June 10 that the EU is considering lowering the oil price cap from $60 to $45 per barrel — a measure that will be discussed at the upcoming G7 summit in Canada on June 15–17. The Kremlin's budget is increasingly strained by soaring military expenditures, with Russia's Finance Ministry relying heavily on energy revenues to fund the war against Ukraine. The push for tighter sanctions comes as Russia continues to reject ceasefire proposals and presses forward with military operations. Zelensky warned that Odesa remains one of Russia's "main targets," with plans to push beyond it toward the borders with Romania and Moldova. "Russia wants to destroy it, as it has done with countless cities and villages in the occupied territories," he said. "Russian military plans point to this region — Odesa — and then to the border with Moldova and Romania." Odesa is a major port city in southern Ukraine, located on the northwestern coast of the Black Sea. The president warned of possible destabilization efforts in the broader region, comparing the Kremlin's strategy to its previous interference in the Balkans. "We saw this before in the Balkans, where Russia intensified interethnic friction, carried out sabotage, and even attempted coups," Zelensky said. The Odesa summit was attended by several southeastern European leaders, including Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Romania's newly elected President Nicusor Dan. Vucic's trip marked his first official visit to Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. Read also: Ukrainian drones strike targets in Russia, including gunpowder plant, General Staff says We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Serbian president says his country ready to take on reconstruction of one or two Ukrainian cities or regions
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has stated that his country is ready to participate in the reconstruction of one or two Ukrainian regions. Source: Vučić at the Ukraine–Southeast Europe Summit in Odesa, as reported by European Pravda Details: During his speech, Vučić said that Serbia would remain committed to international law and the UN Charter in the context of supporting the territorial integrity of states, and this stance could be beneficial for Ukraine. "I can imagine that Ukrainian citizens are fed up with words about support and assistance to Ukraine," Vučić stated. He also said that Serbia might have been "helpful" in efforts to achieve a ceasefire but now wished to contribute in a more practical way. "I would like to take one or two cities or regions that we could help rebuild. I think this would be very clear and visible to the Ukrainian people, so they could receive concrete support," Vučić stated. He also emphasised that Ukraine can "always count" on Serbia's humanitarian aid and political support for its territorial integrity. "We are ready to listen to you and see how we can assist you," said the Serbian president. Background: This is Serbian President Vučić's first visit to Ukraine. Vučić follows pro-Russian policy, with Serbia remaining the only European country that has not imposed sanctions against Russia, despite pressure from the EU. Vučić justifies this by citing potential economic losses and domestic political considerations. Vučić, along with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, were the only European leaders to attend Russia's Victory Day celebrations in Moscow on 9 May. [Victory Day is a Russian holiday commemorating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in 1945 – ed.] Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!