In Serbia, clashes between thousands of protesters and the police continued for the fifth night in a row on Saturday. In the city of Valjevo, a group of masked men set fire to the empty premises of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), the party of President Aleksandar Vucic.
They then sought confrontation with the police, throwing stones and firecrackers at the officers, who responded with flash grenades and tear gas.
Riots also broke out in Belgrade when police stopped protesters on their way to the SNS party headquarters. There were also disturbances in Novi Sad.
It was in Novi Sad that sixteen people were killed on 1 November 2024 when the roof of a newly renovated train station collapsed. Both independent experts and opposition members attribute the tragedy to negligence and corruption. Since then, a wave of protests has swept across the country. Since mid-November, the protests have been led by Serbian students. Citizens from all walks of life have joined them. Since May, the protesters have been demanding early elections, but President Vucic has turned a deaf ear.
So far, the demonstrations have been largely peaceful. However, tempers flared this week when government supporters, often wearing masks, attacked the demonstrators. Both sides accuse each other of provocation.
Opposition members and anti-corruption activists accuse government supporters and law enforcement agencies of violence. On Thursday, a video was circulated showing about 20 police officers beating a young man who was already lying on the ground in Valjevo. Law enforcement agencies reject the accusations and say they themselves were attacked by protesters.
