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.
Tianhui-7 satellite to be used for geographic mapping, land resource surveys, and scientific research....
European leaders held talks on Ukraine after Russia said it would revise its negotiating position, citing an alleged Ukrainian drone attack that Kyiv ...
Thieves exploited the Christmas holiday closure to drill into a German bank vault, stealing at least €10 million in cash and valuables from customer...
Turkmen authorities announced that the next summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) will take place in Turkmenbashi’s Avaza National ...
A court hearing scheduled for 30 December in the criminal case against Armenian citizen Ruben Vardanyan has been postponed for an indefinite period, A...
Thousands of protesters marched through Belgrade on Wednesday night, nearly a year after a deadly station collapse sparked a nationwide anti-government movement.
Human rights groups have accused the Serbian government of using a sonic weapon to disperse a massive protest in Belgrade. However, the authorities have denied these claims, stating that their security forces did not deploy a sonic weapon to intimidate protesters at the anti-government rally.
Roman Abramovich, the Russian billionaire and former Chelsea Football Club owner, has assembled a “top tier” legal team, including a former White House advisor, as he prepares for a legal battle in Jersey.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Sunday praised the country’s armed forces as “invincible warriors” during a year-end ceremony honouring the Bolivarian National Armed Forces, held in the coastal city of La Guaira.
Iran successfully launched three satellites on Sunday using a Russian Soyuz rocket from Russia’s Far East, marking the latest stage in growing Iran-Russia space cooperation.
Max Verstappen has been voted Formula 1’s driver of the year for a fifth straight season by team principals, despite narrowly missing out on the championship.
Moldova has officially notified Russia that the Russian Cultural Centre in Chișinău will be closed, with the institution expected to cease operations within six months, Moldovan authorities said.
Organisers in New York have successfully completed a test run of the Times Square New Year’s Eve crystal ball, less than 48 hours before the annual countdown celebration.
Bulgaria is preparing to replace its national currency, the lev, with the euro on 1 January, a long-awaited move welcomed by businesses but viewed with scepticism and anger by some citizens.
European leaders held talks on Ukraine after Russia said it would revise its negotiating position, citing an alleged Ukrainian drone attack that Kyiv has firmly denied.
Thieves exploited the Christmas holiday closure to drill into a German bank vault, stealing at least €10 million in cash and valuables from customers’ deposit boxes, police said.
The withdrawal of Emirati forces from Yemen after a Saudi-led airstrike has eased immediate tensions but exposed deeper divisions between the two Gulf allies over Yemen, Sudan and regional influence.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment