Latest news with #ArchiveofPublicGatherings
France 24
14 hours ago
- Politics
- 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
DW
16 hours ago
- Politics
- DW
Serbia: Police clash with anti-government demonstrators – DW – 06/28/2025
The student-led protest in Belgrade follows months of nationwide rallies against President Aleksandar Vucic's government, with organizers threatening to launch a civil disobedience campaign. Serbian police clashed with anti-government protesters in Serbia's capital, Belgrade Saturday night, as demonstrators demanded early parliamentary elections and an end to President Aleksandar Vucic's rule. Officers in riot gear used pepper spray to disperse crowds after flares were thrown near a counter-protest by Vucic supporters. Earlier protesters, led by students, issued an ultimatum, saying that the government must call snap elections or face a campaign of civil disobedience. Saturday's clashes comes after months of anti-government demonstrations that were sparked by a deadly rail station collapse last year that killed 16 people and was widely blamed on government corruption and negligence. Some 140,000 people took part in Saturday's demonstration, according to independent protest monitor Archive of Public Gatherings. Vucic has repeatedly rejected calls for early elections and accused unnamed "foreign powers" of fueling the protests. "The country will be defended, and thugs will face justice," he told reporters in Belgrade on Saturday. Presidential and parliamentary elections are set for 2027. Vucic's refusal has only energized demonstrators, particularly university students, who have become a driving force behind the movement. "The reluctance of Vucic makes it all the more important to be there now," said Tara, a student who gave only her first name to DW. "We want to show the president that we want elections. The fight is not over, and the protests are not over yet." "Realistically, we have to prolong the protest a little longer," added Kristina. "But we're almost at the finish line," said Teodora. "Vucic is on his last legs." In a now-routine pre-protest crackdown, more than a dozen people have been arrested, including five on Friday who were remanded for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government, according to Serbia's Higher Court. Thousands of Vucic supporters gathered near parliament in a counter-demonstration. Jasmina Matovic, a tax administration employee from Cacak in central Serbia, voiced her support for the ruling government. "I support the best president in Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic. I support the honest people of Serbia, not these blockade politicians who want to lead Serbia into a catastrophe," she told DW. Students have also called for the removal of pro-government encampments set up by Vucic loyalists in Pionirski Park.
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Serbia: Public outrage on show in historic Belgrade protest
For two days, citizens poured into Belgrade for the largest protest in modern Serbian history. This occurred despite authorities' efforts to obstruct the demonstrations by halting public transportation. Thousands of students walked into the capital, spreading messages of solidarity through smaller towns along the way. The city's streets were packed, with people occupying several key locations. "I came for my child, for my son, so that his future can be better," a young man told DW. Police estimated a peak turnout of 107,000. Arhiv javnih skupova (Archive of Public Gatherings), an NGO which tracks mass gatherings, reported between 275,000 and 325,000 demonstrators — possibly more. The protest was initially organized by students, who have been blockading most state universities for over three months. Professors, teachers, health care workers, lawyers, IT professionals, war veterans, bikers and farmers supported the students' call — the farmers arriving on tractors. "We're here to support these brave young people, people who just want to live in a country where the rule of law works, nothing more," an elderly protester said. The students primarily demand accountability for the canopy collapse at the Novi Sad railway station in northern Serbia that killed 15 people in November. However, the broader public outrage over systemic corruption is directed toward the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and President Aleksandar Vucic. Protesters accuse Vucic of consolidating power and dismantling institutions. "This is a rare moment where the whole of Serbia is united under one cause. Even if the country doesn't change after this, we'll know that we stood up together and made our voices heard," a young man said at the protest in Belgrade. "Since this started, something has already shifted: a change in collective awareness. It's not enough, but it's a fantastic start," added a young woman. Despite fears of violence and predictions of storming public buildings, most incidents were isolated. Serbian media reported 22 arrests and 56 injuries. The Interior Ministry acknowledged multiple brawls and attacks on police officers, attributing them to protesters attempting to provoke disorder. The most intense standoff occurred between the Serbian Parliament building and the Novi Dvor, the president's office. Pro-government counterprotesters, calling themselves "Students 2.0" or "Students who want to study," had set up a camp guarded by tractors and police cordons. Rumors circulated that hooligans and former members of the disbanded Special Operations Unit (JSO), whose commanders were convicted of war crimes, were stationed within the camp, raising fears of provocations. Student organizers relocated the main protest location to avoid clashes, but a group remained near the counterprotest camp. Tensions simmered throughout the day, with firecrackers, flares and loud bangs echoing, and both sides threw bottles and stones. At one point, a group of protesters tried to dismantle the barricades around the Parliament building but were pushed back by police. Student marshals, wearing yellow vests, symbolically raised them in the air to indicate they no longer ensured the crowd's safety, urging people to leave. The most alarming moment occurred during a 15-minute silence to honor the victims of the station collapse. A loud, unexpected noise described by witnesses as resembling a projectile or crashing aircraft, caused panic and triggered a brief stampede. Videos on social media captured the crowd scattering in fear. Dušan Simin, who was among the crowd, told DW that it "sounded like a plane was landing from the direction of the Presidency building." "We couldn't run away from it — we didn't know what to do. You don't know if something will fall on your head or hit you from the side," Simin said. "People must have instinctively thought something was coming down the street, so they started running to the side, and we fell over each other. My wife hit her head on a lamppost. I watched her, but I couldn't help. We still feel uneasy." He added that they planned to seek medical attention and that the incident has already been reported to the Belgrade Center for Human Rights, which has called on citizens to reach out if they need free legal assistance. "We will seek justice because what they did is not normal," Simin said. Balkan news broadcaster N1 quoted military analyst Aleksandar Radic, who suggested an acoustic weapon, specifically a "sonic cannon" reportedly available to Serbian security forces, caused the sound. An opposition lawmaker echoed this claim, but police swiftly denied deploying any such device. Political analyst Dusan Spasojevic described the protest as the largest since Serbia transitioned to parliamentary democracy. However, he noted a lack of political strategy, leaving the movement vulnerable to misdirection. "It's clear students aren't sure how to intensify the protest from here. There were no clear announcements about what's next. Meanwhile, some protesters stayed on the streets, wanting more, but without knowing what or how to achieve it," Spasojevic told DW. President Vucic expressed satisfaction with the protests in a press conference after the demonstrations and praised the security forces for preserving "peace and stability." "All people in power must understand the message when such a large number of people gather. We will have to change ourselves, and we will have to learn a lot," he stated. "On the other hand, I hope that some others have clearly understood the message from the majority of Serbia: that the citizens of Serbia do not want color revolutions, that the citizens of Serbia do not want violence, and that the citizens of Serbia want to change their government through elections." Spasojevic said that the president's satisfaction with the protests is expected because he has had enough incidents to discuss, but just enough that his power remains unaffected. As of now, students have not announced further actions, nor the operationalization of the general strike that was part of the protest plan revealed to the public before the protests. The only certainty is that the movement isn't retreating. Protesters are left to find new ways to maintain pressure. If it turns out that the authorities did indeed use a sound cannon against the citizens, Spasojevic said this could serve as an additional catalyst for the protests. "That's the kind of unnecessary overreach that fuels protests. Some people left disappointed, but they also left angrier than before, furious that illegal force might have been used against them. That could backfire on the authorities." Edited by: Davis VanOpdorp
