Serbia’s police detained hundreds of demonstrators during anti-government protests that turned violent across the country. The clashes between protesters and loyalists of President Aleksandar Vucic left dozens injured or detained.
Protests began nine months ago, with students leading demonstrations against Vucic’s rule in Serbia. A recent protest under the slogan “Let’s show them we are not a punching bag” was held on Friday night, with police deploying armored vehicles to separate protesters from Vucic’s supporters in downtown Belgrade.
The protests started after a train station canopy collapse killed 16 people in November, with many blaming alleged corruption-fueled negligence. President Vucic praised the police for their conduct but repeated claims that the protests were inspired by Western forces seeking to topple him.
Opposition leaders called for Serbia’s Interior Minister Ivica Dacic to be removed from office after reports of excessive police brutality and injuries. The EU’s Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, described the violence as “deeply concerning.”
Serbia seeks EU membership but maintains strong ties with Russia and China, where President Vucic has faced accusations of stifling democratic freedoms and allowing organized crime to flourish.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/serbia-protests-students-vucic-belgrade-police-violence-d7ce5850c2cf12dffa0651fcd614b274