Hundreds of thousands of Serbs today fill the streets of Belgrade in a protest described as the culmination of months of dissatisfaction with President Aleksandar Vučić. Concerns rise since counter -protesters set up barricades and the police are already reporting several arrests.
– I expect this to shake his authority, says demonstrator Milenko Kovačević to The Guardian.
Police fear clashes between Vučić supporters and the hundreds of thousands of protesters who have now taken Belgrade’s central parts. A man has been arrested for driving into a demonstration train, which injured three people.
Already on Friday, many of the protesters arrived in the capital, and according to the Interior Minister, 13 people were arrested during the night. Six of these are accused of planning a coup and trying to excite unrest.
Possible barricades
Prior to the protest, supporters hit the president camp in a park in front of the presidential palace. President Aleksandar Vučić then warned that the security forces may use violence at Saturday’s demonstration, but the message does not seem to have hindered the massive participation.
Supporters of the president have camped outside the palace
Supporters of the president have camped outside the palace
Photo: AP/TT
Several of the protesters sharply criticize corruption in the country’s leadership and against what they call abuse of power. At the same time, counter -protesters, including ultranationalists and alleged football hooligans, have been at Parliament.
The protests have their background in a tragic accident in November when a roof collapse at a train station in Novi Sad demanded 15 people’s lives. The dissatisfaction has since grown and is directed at corruption and the lack of reforms.
Vučić, who has been prime minister since 2014 and president since 2017, has previously said that he would never resign voluntarily. “You have to kill me if you want to replace me,” he should have stated according to The Guardian.
The EU criticizes development
Serbia, who has negotiated EU membership since 2014, is criticized for insufficient democratic reforms. According to analysts, today’s demonstration can be the largest in modern Serbian history. The situation remains tense in the capital, where the police warn of further unrest and both sides still mobilize.