Thousands of protesters, mainly students, descended on Serbia's capital on Friday ahead of a planned weekend of massive anti-government rallies, many travelling hundreds of miles on foot or by bike.
President Aleksandar Vucic said he had asked police to show restraint, but to detain troublemakers. "The state ... will do everything to secure peace. Those who endanger peace will be arrested," he told a news conference.
Thousands of people cheered and waved Serbian flags as student columns started entering Belgrade city centre. Hundreds of bikers, parked near the parliament building, revved their engines in support. Cars honked as they drove by.
Supporters, including students from Belgrade, laid out a red carpet for the arriving protesters along the main Terazije boulevard.
"Belgraders, liberators have arrived," said Angelina, 19, a student from the northern city of Zrenjanin.
The rallies are expected to be the biggest in decades. Near daily student protests began in December following the deaths of 15 people when a roof at a railway station collapsed on November 1 in the northern city of Novi Sad, a disaster opponents blame on corruption under Vucic.
Authorities expect anywhere between 60,000 and 80,000 protesters to arrive to the capital, Vucic said. Organisers say they expect many more.
Students, teachers, farmers, and workers have joined the demonstrations in a major challenge to Vucic, a populist, in power for 12 years as prime minister or president.
Throngs of Vucic loyalists have arrived in Belgrade this week to camp near his office in the centre of the city. They brought tractors overnight to surround their camp.
Earlier, outgoing Prime Minister Milos Vucevic said police would intervene in case of violence.
Last December, students issued a set of demands that included the release of documents related to the railway station disaster and accountability for those responsible.
Prosecutors have charged 13 people over the disaster, and the government has announced an anti-corruption campaign. Vucevic and two ministers have also resigned.
As the Ukraine war is highlighted by some leaders during the United Nations' 81st General Assembly meetin...
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has accused U.S. President Donald Trump of having a “bullying mentality” at the United Nations Gene...
The 81st UN General Assembly continues in New York on Wednesday, with another day of high-level speeches and diplomatic meetings. The wars in the M...
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York on Wednesday, as Washington pushes for an end to the war in Ukraine and Kyiv and Moscow continue to strike energy infrastructure.
U.S. President Donald Trump is addressing the UN General Assembly as world leaders gather in New York for the 81st session. Conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, global security and diplomacy set to dominate the event.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv was ready to halt strikes on Russian energy facilities if Moscow stops targeting Ukraine’s energy sector, critical infrastructure, and food exports, as he prepared to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in New York.
U.S. President Donald Trump said his team held a three-hour meeting with an Iranian delegation in New York that he described as “very good” and “productive”, with another round of talks scheduled soon.
The 81st UN General Assembly continues in New York on Wednesday, with another day of high-level speeches and diplomatic meetings. The wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, global security and international cooperation remain at the centre of discussions.
As the Ukraine war is highlighted by some leaders during the United Nations' 81st General Assembly meeting in New York, Russian forces attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early on Thursday with ballistic missiles, killing two people and injuring six, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
The 81st UN General Assembly continues in New York on Wednesday, with another day of high-level speeches and diplomatic meetings. The wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, global security and international cooperation remain at the centre of discussions.
Executives from leading artificial intelligence companies warned the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday that increasingly powerful AI systems could pose serious risks to humanity and international security, calling for governments to work together to manage the technology.
Argentina’s President Javier Milei criticised the United Nations on Wednesday for what he described as looking “the other way” as tensions with Britain escalate over oil exploration around the Falkland Islands.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has told the UN that Tehran will not surrender to U.S. pressure but remains open to diplomacy, responding to Donald Trump’s threat to “annihilate” Iran.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment