Police and protesters clash in Serbia as crowds demand president's exit
Police used tear gas and stun grenades after the main rally, and officials said 34,300 attended while organizers put the crowd at around 100,000.
- Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Belgrade on Saturday, demanding early elections and accountability from President Aleksandar Vucic, led by university students who have spearheaded a nationwide anti-corruption movement.
- Following a November 2024 rail station disaster that killed 16 people, Students demanded government accountability as protests snowballed into a campaign to force early elections in Serbia.
- Parliament speaker Ana Brnabic downplayed the rally, citing 34,300 participants, while the European Union warned that democratic backsliding could cost Serbia $1.8 billion in funding.
- Clashes erupted between protesters and riot police following the rally, while The Council's Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael Flaherty, criticized the government's hard-line tactics and said he "will monitor the situation closely."
- Students plan to challenge Vucic at approaching elections later this year, hoping to oust the right-wing populist government, though experts say they lack a clear political platform to effectively challenge him.
140 Articles
140 Articles
Clashes at Belgrade Mass Protest
Tens of thousands of people gathered on Saturday at Slavija Square, one of the main intersections in the Serbian capital, demanding early elections and an end to Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s 14-year rule. The initially peaceful rally turned violent when demonstrators began hurling firecrackers, stones, and bottles at riot police guarding Belgrade City Hall. As clashes spread toward the presidential office and the parliament, police depl…
"The protest 'You and I, Slavija, because students are winning' drew between 180,000 and 190,000 people. AJS estimates are based on a measured gathering area of 107,000 square meters and an average density of 1.7 people per square meter. This is the second largest protest in Serbia since the fall of Milosevic," the organization reported. At a rally organized in March 2025 by Serbian students, between 275,000 and 325,000 people demonstrated. The …
Forty-seven people have been arrested and several dozen injured, including 17 policemen, in clashes with protesters in Belgrade on Saturday night, following a massive anti-government protest that took place peacefully, local media reports this Sunday.Continue reading...
In Belgrade, tens of thousands of demonstrators marched to demand elections on Saturday, 23 May. This is the largest gathering of the anti-corruption movement that has lasted for more than a year in Serbia, triggered by the deadly collapse of Novi Sad station, just renovated. The incident had claimed the lives of 16 people, on 1 November 2024. - "We will continue until this regime falls": images of the giant demonstration against corruption in S…
After the peaceful anti-government demonstration of tens of thousands, masked youth set up blockades and clashed with the police.
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