Months of anti-government rallies in Serbia became violent as protestors and supporters of President Aleksandar Vucic clashed with each other in three key cities: Belgrade, Novi Sad, and Nis, media reports said.
The protestors and supporters threw flares, rocks, firecrackers, and bottles, while police struggled to maintain peace. The unrest marks the biggest challenge to Vucic’s more than decade-long rule, with growing calls for him to call early elections, reports added.
Serbia’s President Claims Protestors Organized the Attacks
Vucic accused anti-government groups of attacking the offices of his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and claimed the incident was a “well-organised attack” aimed at starting a civil war. Authorities, he said, would prosecute those responsible.
Footage broadcast on local media showed Vucic’s supporters using fireworks to push back protesters, sparking the clashes that escalated late Wednesday. “They brutally attacked SNS offices. There are many injured citizens,” Vucic said, adding that thousands of his supporters were “ready to defend” the premises.
Protesters said that government supporters attacked them first in the northern town of Vrbas, as well as in Backa Palanka, Novi Sad, and the southern city of Nis. In Belgrade, riot police dispersed demonstrators who had gathered in the city center.
University Students Are Heading the Protests in Serbia
The protests are being led by university students and calling on President Aleksandar Vucic to hold early parliamentary elections, a demand he has so far rejected. The student groups are also urging the removal of Interior Minister Ivica Dacic, blaming him for recent violence during demonstrations.
The anti-government movement began last year after a tragedy at a Novi Sad railway station, where a collapsed concrete canopy killed 16 people. What started as a call for accountability grew into a nationwide movement against Vucic and his government, said reports.
Vucic, in power for almost 12 years, has often used early elections to strengthen his grip but this time rejected demands for a snap vote. He said the next election would be held before its scheduled date in 2027, but not immediately.
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