Serbian police faced off against a large crowd of anti-government protesters in Belgrade, where around 140,000 people gathered to demand early elections and an end to President Aleksandar Vucic’s long tenure. This protest marked one of the largest turnouts in recent months, fueled by growing discontent among students and other groups who are increasingly pushing back against the government.
The situation escalated as riot police clashed with demonstrators, using tear gas and stun grenades to disperse the crowd. Many protesters were arrested during the unrest. President Vucic, in response, accused the protesters of being part of a foreign plot aimed at destabilizing Serbia, claiming on social media that their efforts to topple his government had failed.
The protests have been ongoing for several months, sparked in part by a tragic incident last November when the roof of a railway station in Novi Sad collapsed, resulting in 16 deaths. Many protesters attribute this disaster to corruption and mismanagement within the government.
On the day of the latest protest, five individuals were detained on charges of plotting to overthrow the government. The police minister condemned the violence and promised that those responsible would face arrest.
Participants at the protests, including farmers and students, voiced their frustrations. One farmer from Sid expressed her belief that elections were necessary to address the corruption she sees in the government. Vucic’s Progressive Party currently holds a significant majority in parliament, making snap elections unlikely.
Critics of Vucic have accused him of having links to organized crime, corruption, and suppressing media freedoms, allegations that he and his allies deny. Despite Serbia’s aspirations for European Union membership, the country has maintained close ties with Russia and has not joined Western sanctions against Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine.
As the protests continued, organizers called on the crowd to "take freedom into your own hands," urging them to hold the government accountable for its actions. They criticized the authorities for resorting to violence instead of addressing the protesters’ demands. With the president’s term set to conclude in 2027, the pressure from these protests may reshape the political landscape in Serbia.