Serbian police detain 79 protesters as dissent persists against populist
president
[July 03, 2025]
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbian police said they detained 79
university students and other protesters as they broke up street
blockades in several cities that are part of persistent dissent against
President Aleksandar Vucic's populist government.
Officers in riot gear intervened late Wednesday and early Thursday in
the capital, Belgrade, the northern city of Novi Sad and the southern
cities of Nis and Novi Pazar. Authorities denied reports of police
brutality and excessive force against demonstrators. |
Riot police detain a man after charging protesters at the end of an
anti-government rally pressing for an early election after nearly eight
months of almost daily anti-corruption demonstrations that have shaken
the populist government of President Aleksandar Vucic, in Belgrade,
Serbia, Saturday, June 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) |
|
University students behind the protests said police charged and
injured many peaceful demonstrators. Witnesses told local media
that riot police beat up protesters with batons and shields and
that four students were hospitalized, including one with a
broken clavicle.
Four officers were injured and a police vehicle was damaged, the
Interior Ministry said in a statement, noting officers “acted in
accordance with the law" while responding to the unrest
Wednesday and early Thursday.
Tensions in the Balkan country have soared since a rally
Saturday demanding early parliamentary elections. The gathering
by tens of thousands of people in Belgrade ended with clashes
between riot police and groups of protesters.
Vucic has refused to schedule a snap vote despite more than
eight months of persistent demonstrations. The protests began in
November after a renovated rail station canopy collapsed in Novi
Sad, killing 16 people and triggering allegations of
corruption-fueled negligence in state infrastructure projects.
Parliamentary and presidential elections are due in 2027. While
rejecting the election demand, Vucic has stepped up government
pressure to curb the protests that he describes as “terror” and
attempts to bring down the state.
Critics say Vucic has become increasingly authoritarian since
coming to power over a decade ago, stifling democratic freedoms
while allowing corruption and organized crime to flourish, which
he has denied.
Serbia is formally seeking entry to the European Union, but
Vucic’s government has nourished relations with Russia and
China.
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