From demonstrators flooded the capital of Serbia the Belgrade with the concentrated calling for early elections. The incidents and clashes with the police were not lacking.
About 140,000 protesters gathered yesterday (28.06.2025) in Belgrade, Serbia, to demand that early elections be announced, continuing to put pressure on the government, after more than seven months of mobilization with pioneering students.
“We want elections!” He shouted at the crowd that flooded Belgrade’s largest square and roads around it after 18:00, waving Serbian flags and holding banners and placards with names of Serbian cities and villages.
Events broke out between groups of young men later, some of whom threw smoke, and the enforcement forces, who used tear gas and grenades. Riots are rare from the beginning of the movement.
A police statement said that some 36,000 protesters participated in the rally, but French agency reporters and air photographic material show a large crowd.
According to a preliminary counting of an independent body last night, 140,000 citizens demonstrated some of the largest mobilizations of the dispute, after that of March 15, in which 300,000 people had participated.
“We will demonstrate once again and they will not stop us,” said Stefan Ivakovic, a law student. “We will continue our mobilizations for as long as we need to satisfy our claims,” he added.
This movement was born because of the tragedy of November 1, 2024, when a concrete cornice collapsed at Novi Sad (north) train station, costing 16 people, including two children.
Students were quickly headed. Angry over the inaction of President Aleksandar Vucic’s populist government after the accident, attributed to deep -rooted corruption, they have made a series of claims, in particular to conduct an independent investigation and, in May, to announce.
The students wanted to give this movement to this movement yesterday. Earlier this week they made two requests to the President: to dismantle parliament and to leave his supporters who have set up a camp in front of the presidency from April 12.
Aleksandar Vucic (nationalist right) had, according to the ultimatum that was given to him, until yesterday at 9pm (22:00) to satisfy these requests.
After the deadline exhaled, students read to the protesters the message: “Lae of Serbia! Time is over, but not for us (…) This race is not just the students. Today, we all demand elections, “and” we will win everything. “
In their text later released via Instagram, the students denied that they were responsible for violence as the authorities accuse them, “who have all the means to satisfy claims but preferred to choose violence and repression”.
Expanding the concern that incidents would break out, President Vucic warned yesterday morning that he was expecting “violence” towards the end of the student demonstration.
The latter, whose rallies were peaceful yesterday, had warned that there would be “radicalization” if their demands were not met by calling for “peaceful disobedience of citizens”.
On the night before yesterday, Mr Vucic rejected their claims and accused them once again of being sold “in foreign powers”.
“In the end, Serbia always wins,” she said via Instagram late last night last Saturday.
Faced with the massive dispute movement, the Serbian president has removed some of his ministers from his government in January, while also accusing the protesters of trying to motivate a coup, that they are being paid and incorporated by foreign countries, that they are being paid and motivated by foreign countries.
More than ten people who belonged to this movement have been arrested in recent days. Last night, AFP journalist saw at least two protesters.