Thousands set up street blockades in Serbia after arrest of protesters
Thousands of people set up street blockades in Serbia on Sunday, angry over the arrest of anti-government protesters who clashed with police at a massive rally a day earlier calling for snap parliamentary elections.
Demonstrators set up metal fences and put garbage containers in various locations across the city, also blocking a key bridge over the Sava River.
Elsewhere in Serbia in the city of Novi Sad, protesters pelted the offices of the ruling populist Serbian Progressive Party with eggs.
Local media reported that similar protest blockades were organised in other smaller cities as well.
The protesters demanded that authorities release dozens of university students and other protesters who were jailed for attacking the police or for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government at a rally on Saturday in Belgrade.
Tens of thousands had gathered at that rally. They demanded early elections after months of protesters spurred by a deadly train station awning collapse blamed on government corruption.
The anti-corruption protests have been going on for eight months after the deadly collapse of the newly renovated train station canopy in the city of Novi Sad in November 2024, which killed 16 people.
Protesters declared the current populist government 'illegitimate' and laid the responsibility for any violence on the government.
Clashes with riot police on Saturday erupted after the official part of the rally ended. Police used pepper spray, batons and shields while protesters threw rocks, bottles and other objects.
Police said on Sunday that 48 officers were injured while 22 protesters sought medical help. Out of 77 people detained, 38 remained in custody Sunday, most of them facing criminal charges, said Interior Minister Ivica Dacic.
At least eight more people were detained during the day, the prosecutors said.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić earlier Sunday announced the arrests at a press conference, accusing organizers of the rally of inciting violence and attacks on police, urging legal prosecution.
He also criticized "terrorists and those who tried to bring down the state,' singling out University of Belgrade's head dean, Vladan Djokic, who was among the protesters.
'There will be more arrests,' Vučić said. 'Identification of all individuals is underway.'
He and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party have rejected calls for early elections, accusing protesters of seeking to incite unrest under foreign influence without providing evidence.
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Euronews
21 hours ago
- Euronews
Thousands set up street blockades in Serbia after arrest of protesters
Thousands of people set up street blockades in Serbia on Sunday, angry over the arrest of anti-government protesters who clashed with police at a massive rally a day earlier calling for snap parliamentary elections. Demonstrators set up metal fences and put garbage containers in various locations across the city, also blocking a key bridge over the Sava River. Elsewhere in Serbia in the city of Novi Sad, protesters pelted the offices of the ruling populist Serbian Progressive Party with eggs. Local media reported that similar protest blockades were organised in other smaller cities as well. The protesters demanded that authorities release dozens of university students and other protesters who were jailed for attacking the police or for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government at a rally on Saturday in Belgrade. Tens of thousands had gathered at that rally. They demanded early elections after months of protesters spurred by a deadly train station awning collapse blamed on government corruption. The anti-corruption protests have been going on for eight months after the deadly collapse of the newly renovated train station canopy in the city of Novi Sad in November 2024, which killed 16 people. Protesters declared the current populist government 'illegitimate' and laid the responsibility for any violence on the government. Clashes with riot police on Saturday erupted after the official part of the rally ended. Police used pepper spray, batons and shields while protesters threw rocks, bottles and other objects. Police said on Sunday that 48 officers were injured while 22 protesters sought medical help. Out of 77 people detained, 38 remained in custody Sunday, most of them facing criminal charges, said Interior Minister Ivica Dacic. At least eight more people were detained during the day, the prosecutors said. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić earlier Sunday announced the arrests at a press conference, accusing organizers of the rally of inciting violence and attacks on police, urging legal prosecution. He also criticized "terrorists and those who tried to bring down the state,' singling out University of Belgrade's head dean, Vladan Djokic, who was among the protesters. 'There will be more arrests,' Vučić said. 'Identification of all individuals is underway.' He and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party have rejected calls for early elections, accusing protesters of seeking to incite unrest under foreign influence without providing evidence.
Euronews
a day ago
- Euronews
Student-led protesters in Belgrade call for snap elections in Serbia
ADVERTISEMENT Riot police clashed with anti-government student-led demonstrators who rallied in the Serbian capital of Belgrade on Saturday to demand early parliamentary elections after nearly eight months of protests. The students have been a key force in driving anti-corruption protests across the nation following the deadly collapse of a newly renovated train station canopy in the city of Novi Sad in November 2024, which killed 16 people. Many Serbians blamed the collapse on alleged government corruption and negligence in state infrastructure projects, leading to recurring mass protests. 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. Several protesters were handcuffed by police, and an officer was seen injured on the ground during the ongoing street battles. It was unclear whether others were injured. As the protest formally ended, the demonstrators threw eggs, plastic bottles and other objects at riot police who were preventing the crowd from approaching a downtown park. Serbian police said 36,000 people were present at the start of the protest Saturday. An independent monitoring group that records public gatherings said around 140,000 people attended the student-led rally. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) have rejected calls for early elections, accusing protesters of seeking to incite unrest under foreign influence without providing evidence. Despite the government's demands for the protests to end, the large turnout at Saturday's rally suggested that public anger persisted. Hours before the student-led rally, the ruling SNS party bused in scores of its own supporters to Belgrade from other parts of the country, many wearing T-shirts reading: 'We won't give up Serbia.' They were joining a camp of pro-government protesters in central Belgrade, where they have been staying in tents since mid-March. Presidential and parliamentary elections in Serbia are scheduled for 2027. Although Vučić and the SNS-led government have repeatedly stated that they want Serbia to join the European Union, Belgrade still maintains good relations with Russia and China.
France 24
2 days ago
- France 24
Around 140,000 rally in Belgrade ratcheting up calls for elections
The rally was one of the largest in over half a year student-led actions, which began in November after the roof of a train station collapsed in the northern city of Novi Sad, killing 16 people -- a tragedy widely blamed on entrenched corruption. Earlier on Saturday, a sea of protesters filled Belgrade's largest square and poured into several surrounding streets. The Independent Protest Monitor, Archive of Public Gatherings, estimated the crowd size at around 140,000, significantly higher than the police estimate of 36,000. "We want elections!" the crowd chanted, waving Serbian flags and holding banners bearing the names of cities and towns from around the country. For more than half a year, students have blockaded universities and organised large demonstrations around the country, demanding a transparent investigation into the deaths. But in contrast with previous gatherings, which have remained peaceful, clashes erupted between demonstrators and riot police. AFP journalists witnessed police firing tear gas and stun grenades as protesters hurled flares at rows of police in several clashes following the huge gathering in Serbia's capital. Police director Dragan Vasiljevic said officers had used batons after coming under attack but denied deploying "chemical agents" to disperse the crowd. Dozens were detained, while six officers and two people were injured in the violence, Vasiljevic said. 'We will rally as long as it takes' Frustrated by government inaction over the tragedy, students have been calling for elections since May. "We show once again that we will not stop," law student Stefan Ivakovic told AFP. "We will rally as long as it takes until the demands are met." Ahead of Saturday's protest, organisers issued an "ultimatum" for President Aleksandar Vucic to announce elections by 9:00 pm (1900 GMT) - a demand he had rejected well before the deadline. As the 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 chose violence and repression against the citizens. Any radicalisation of the situation is their responsibility." -'Foreign powers'- Following the clashes, the police minister "strongly condemned the attacks" on officers and said those responsible would be arrested. According to pro-government media, Vucic will address the public at 11am(9 am GMT)on Sunday, although no details were confirmed. Earlier, Vucic posted a photo of himself visiting nearby pro-government encampments outside the parliament building, issuing a message of support to an earlier counter-demonstration there. But the crowd near the camps had dwindled significantly from its initial thousands. The outcry over the Novi Sad disaster has already toppled the country's prime minister, but the governing party remains in power -- with a reshuffled government and the president at its heart. Vucic, who had warned of violence before the rally, has repeatedly said the protests are part of a foreign plot to destroy his government. More than a dozen people have been arrested in recent weeks, a crackdown that has now become routine ahead of large demonstrations. On Friday, five people were remanded in custody accused of plotting to overthrow the government, according to a statement from Serbia's Higher Court in Belgrade. 'Arrests, interrogations, and attacks' Students have also called for the removal of the pro-government encampments, warning of the "radicalisation" of the movement if their demands are not met. "We have been with the students from the very beginning, and we will continue to stand with them," University of Belgrade rector Vladan Djokic told AFP before the clashes. Djokic, who has become a vocal supporter of the protest movement, earlier told the crowd that students had faced "arrests, interrogations, and attacks" in the months leading up to the rally. Earlier this month, local polls in two municipalities marked the first electoral clash between an opposition coalition and Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party. As before, Vucic denied allegations of fraud. © 2025 AFP
