In Belgrade, Serbia, an immense crowd of at least 100,000 gathered on Saturday in a major protest against President Aleksandar Vucic and his administration. This event, standing as the pinnacle of months-long demonstrations, saw countless flag-waving dissenters filling the capital’s downtown, many struggling to maneuver or stuck far from the scheduled protest site due to the dense crowds and intermittent rain.
Amid sporadic skirmishes between police and demonstrators, the student leaders, who have spearheaded these peaceful rallies for four months, unexpectedly ended the gathering, citing an inability to ensure safety. Nevertheless, a substantial number lingered, leading to heightened tensions.
Police reported that the protest peaked at 107,000 participants, with Serbian independent media claiming even higher numbers and labeling it as the largest ever in the country. Public transport in Belgrade was halted, as people flooded into the city from all sides.
This protest is part of a broader anti-corruption movement sparked by a tragic incident in November, where a concrete canopy at a northern Serbian train station collapsed, killing 15. The daily demonstrations following this tragedy have rattled Vucic’s longstanding control over Serbia, which has persisted for 13 years. Citizens assert that the accident was the result of widespread governmental corruption, negligence, and disregard for construction safety standards, and they are demanding accountability.
Dubbed “15 for 15” to commemorate the event’s date and the victims of the incident in Novi Sad on November 1, the demonstrators observed a 15-minute silence in the evening as a tribute. Prior to the protest, President Vucic cautioned of potential unrest plans and threatened arrests and severe penalties for disturbances.
The rally was loud with the sound of whistles, drums, and vuvuzelas. Protesters held signs declaring “He’s Finished!” and chanted the student-led protests’ slogan, “Pump it Up.”
“This will challenge his dominance and make Vucic realize the public no longer supports him,” said protester Milenko Kovacevic. Dejan Simic, another protester, noted, “This is just the beginning of the end, a process I hope concludes soon.”
University students have been pivotal in pushing the anti-corruption agenda, with their fervor resonating among citizens who feel disenchanted by the government and have lost trust in state institutions. On the preceding Friday evening, tens of thousands celebrated the student demonstrators’ arrival in Belgrade after journeying on foot or bike from across Serbia.
Interior Minister Ivica Dacic disclosed 13 detentions overnight on state RTS broadcaster, including six opposition activists accused of planning a coup. By Saturday morning, citizens amassed in various city parts en route to the center, with the downtown swarming with people well before the scheduled protest start.
In an unsettling incident, authorities reported a man drove into protesters in a Belgrade suburb, injuring three people. Numerous police officers were strategically positioned around government premises and the presidential palace.
Many railway and bus services to Belgrade were reportedly suspended, ostensibly for security reasons, likely to discourage attendance at the rally. Additionally, journalists from Croatia and Slovenia were turned away at the Serbian border as their presence was deemed a security threat.
President Vucic has dismissed calls for a transitional government to facilitate early elections and has accused Western intelligence of orchestrating these student-led protests against him, although he has not provided evidence to back his claims. Proponents of Vucic, including former members of a feared paramilitary group involved in the 2003 assassination of Serbia’s first democratic Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic and notorious soccer hooligans, have been camping in central Belgrade. This tension reflects fears of potential clashes. Previous rallies led by students in other Serbian cities have been conducted peacefully and have drawn enormous crowds.
