Antigovernment protests, ongoing for more than 10 months, continue to escalate.
Both sides held events on Saturday, more than 10 months after the start of sustained protests against the right-wing populist government, triggered by the collapse of a railway station roof in the northern city of Novi Sad, which led to the deaths of 16 people.
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Initially, the student-led protest movement sought justice for the victims and an investigation into the corruption believed to have caused the tragedy. However, its demands then widened to call for Vucic’s resignation.
Vucic, who labels the protesters as “terrorists”, has been using his Serbian Progressive Party to organize counterdemonstrations in an effort to maintain his power.
No major incidents were reported on Saturday, but brief clashes were noted in the capital, Belgrade, where antigovernment demonstrators were pushed back by riot police as Vucic joined some of his supporters.
Earlier this week, thousands gathered in Belgrade to protest against the government.
Addressing the crowd, Nikolina Sindjelic, a student who was arrested during protests in August, accused the authorities of mistreating her while in detention.
“They beat us because they are afraid of us,” she said, speaking outside the headquarters of a special police unit.
“They have hit us, and they will hit us again because they know it is all over for them,” Sindjelic added.
The government’s crackdown on the protest movement has intensified in recent weeks, with demonstrators accusing the police of brutality.
More than 100 university professors have so far been sacked by the authorities and replaced with Vucic loyalists.
“We have a problem in Belgrade,” European enlargement commissioner Marta Kos stated during a visit to Austria on September 8.
“The people have the right to protest,” Kos noted. “The severe violence on the streets of Serbia, the many acts of vandalism, must stop. We expect the police to act alongside respect for fundamental rights.”
