Unrest intensifies amidst anti-government demonstrations in Serbia
Violent Protests Continue in Serbia Against Government of President Vucic
For the second consecutive night, violent protests have erupted in several cities across Serbia, including Belgrade and Novi Sad, against the government of President Aleksandar Vucic. The demonstrations, which have been ongoing for over nine months, have been triggered by deep-seated public anger following the collapse of a newly renovated train station canopy in Novi Sad on November 1, 2024, resulting in 16 fatalities.
The root cause of the ongoing unrest can be traced back to the railway station tragedy, which has been blamed on shoddy workmanship and corruption under the Vucic government. Independent experts and opposition figures have criticized the government for its negligence, accusing it of prioritizing political gain over public safety.
The government's response has been met with widespread criticism. Protesters have been met with police use of tear gas, armored vehicles, and arrests, with Interior Minister Ivica Dacic reporting that five police officers were injured and 14 demonstrators were arrested. The police have also been criticized for not intervening more harshly against pro-government supporters who have attacked demonstrators, as was the case in Vrbas and Backa Palanka, where no police intervention was reported.
President Vucic has accused protesters of violent provocations and threatened a possible declaration of a state of emergency. However, the government has been accused of using excessive force and making arbitrary detentions, with reports of protesters being beaten and taken to undisclosed locations.
The protests have spread from northern cities like Vrbas and Backa Palanka to major urban centers, including Belgrade and Novi Sad, with large crowds demonstrating almost daily. The unrest shows no signs of abating, as both sides remain entrenched in their positions and widespread public dissatisfaction persists.
In Belgrade, SNS supporters have been reported throwing fireworks at government opponents, while in Novi Sad, windows were smashed at two headquarters of the ruling SNS party. The Vucic government is being demanded to resign and hold new elections by the protesters, who criticize it as corrupt and authoritarian.
The latest development in the dispute between Elon Musk and Apple has no direct connection to the protests in Serbia. Musk has claimed that Apple is showing favoritism towards Grok, a chatbot developed by Musk, but Apple has rejected this claim.
In a separate incident, a bacterium has been detected in Kneipp's Aroma Care Shower 'Lebensfreude', leading to a recall of the product. This recall is not related to the ongoing protests in Serbia.
The ongoing protests in Serbia, against the government of President Aleksandar Vucic, are not only about the recent violent events but also rooted in broader issues such as politics, war-and-conflicts, general-news, and crime-and-justice, as the protesters criticize the government for its alleged negligence, shoddy workmanship, corruption, and authoritarianism.
The escalating protests, accompanied by police violence and allegations of arbitrary detentions and beating, have drawn attention from various spheres of general news, including international politics and crime-and-justice reports.
