Chaotic Scenes at Violent Protest in Belgrade, Serbia
Protests Lead to Arrests and Injuries Against Serbian Authorities - Clashes and hurt individuals during widespread demonstrations against the Serbian administration
In a turbulent display of public unrest, Sunday's protest in Belgrade against the Serbian government erupted into clashes between protesters and law enforcement. The event, which had tens of thousands — potentially hundreds of thousands — of participants according to estimates, was the most significant anti-government demonstration the country has seen since the '90s.
The catalyst for this protest was the Novi Sad train station disaster, where a catastrophic collapse claimed the lives of 16 individuals in November 2024. The incident sparked public outrage over alleged government corruption and negligence. Over the following six months, the protests evolved from focusing solely on the disaster's cause to denouncing the government, demanding new elections, and targeting systemic corruption within the country.
The demonstration began peacefully, with protesters waving Serbian flags and banners bearing the names of their hometowns. They sang the national anthem at the start and held a minute of silence for the victims of the Novi Sad catastrophe. However, as the hours passed, skirmishes broke out as protesters began to clash with the police, who responded with tear gas and stun grenades. Journalists from AFP, among others, reported police also using batons after being attacked.
The Organization for Public Gatherings estimated the number of participants at around 140,000, while authorities reported a lower figure of 36,000. However, reports from AFP reporters on the ground and aerial images suggested that many more attended the rally.
Student organizers had given President Aleksandar Vucic an ultimatum to call for new elections by Saturday evening at 9:00 PM. Vucic rejected the demand on Friday, stating that elections would not be held until at least 2026. The president has maintained that the protests are a foreign-orchestrated "color revolution," pointing fingers at opposition groups, independent media, and universities as tools of agitation.
As the ultimatum expired and the demonstration reached its climax, organizers announced that "the green light" had been given for Serbians to "take their freedom into their own hands." They accused the government of having "no intention of meeting the demands and preventing escalation." The organizers claimed that the government's response, which included resorting to violence and repression, was responsible for any radicalization that occurred during the event.
Pro-government media reported that President Vucic plans to address the citizens on Sunday at 11:00 AM, but the immediate consequences of this chaotic protest remain to be seen.
- Clashes
- Belgrade
- Serbia
- Mass protest
- Protest against government
- Aleksandar Vucic
- Police violence
- Tear gas
- Novi Sad disaster
- Corruption
- Authoritarianism
- The mass protest in Belgrade, Serbia against the Serbian government turned violent as clashes erupted between protesters and law enforcement, with reports of police using tear gas and stun grenades.
- The violent clashes in Belgrade during the anti-government demonstration have raised concerns about the government's handling of public unrest, particularly in light of the Novi Sad disaster and allegations of corruption and systemic corruption.
