Thousands of people, including university students, have taken to the streets of Belgrade in Serbia for a massive anti-corruption rally. The Saturday protest was a culmination of months of anti-graft demonstrations, posing as one of the biggest challenges for President Alexander Vucic. He threatened protesters with arrest if the peaceful rally turned violent.
Vucic claimed that Western intelligence services were behind the protests to oust him from power. He said he will not accept blackmail and will not succumb to pressure. “I am the president of Serbia and I won’t allow the streets to set the rules,” Vucic said the government will do everything to secure peace. “Those disrupting peace will be arrested and severely punished.” He highlighted that the protests have no social background. “It is not a movement for a more just or successful society.”
The president called on the police and other government agencies to ensure the safety of protesters and not to use force against them.
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Belgrade Protests for Accountability and Justice
The Belgrade protests began in November 2024 demanding official accountability and justice for the Novi Sad railway station disaster which claimed 15 lives. A protester said the whole of Serbia needs to stop for its citizens to find out everything that the government wants to hide. “It’s the only way we can show them that there is no more playing with us and that we don’t have any more time.”
Protesters lighted flares and fireworks, and waved flags. The European Union mission in Serbia showed support for the rally. It highlighted that freedom of assembly is a fundamental right and the safety of participants and institutions must be ensured. The EU called on Serbia to avoid violence at all costs.
