Tens of thousands protested in Belgrade against President Vucic, demanding accountability for a deadly railway station collapse. Riot police, veterans, and bikers faced off with demonstrators in a tense standoff, as student-led rallies continue to challenge the government.
Serbian anti-corruption protesters, riot police, and supporters of President Aleksandar Vucic faced off in central Belgrade on Saturday as tens of thousands of people turned out for massive anti-government rallies following a night of sporadic clashes.
Police deployed hundreds of officers in full riot gear in and around Pionirski Park, where supporters of Vucic have camped this week inside a ring of parked tractors.
Across the street, hundreds of veterans from elite military brigades in maroon berets and bikers who pledge allegiance to the students lined up along the route where protesters were due to march from 4 p.m. (15:00 GMT) in front of the national parliament to Slavija Square. The bikers paraded slowly, revving their engines.
Students also deployed hundreds of security guards from their own ranks, clad in fluorescent yellow vests, and positioned them between police and protesters.
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.
Students, teachers, farmers, and workers have joined the demonstrations in a major challenge to Vucic, a populist who has been in power for 12 years as prime minister or president.
Last December, students issued a set of demands that include the release of documents related to the railway station disaster, and accountability for those responsible.
Thousands of marching students, many travelling hundreds of miles on foot or by bike, descended on Serbia's capital late on Friday ahead of Saturday's rally.
Tension and sporadic violence continued overnight and into Saturday.
The European Union warmly welcomes the meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, hosted by U.S. ...
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on 15 August to negotiate an end to the c...
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev gave an interview to a select group of Azerbaijani journalists in Washington on August 8, includi...
According to Bloomberg News, the United States and Russia are working toward an agreement aimed at halting the war in Ukraine by formalising Russia’...
A fire broke out at Cordoba’s historic mosque-cathedral on the night of 8 August but was swiftly extinguished, preventing damage to one of Spain’...
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will send an upgraded ‘version 3.0’ free-trade agreement to their heads of government for approval in October, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday after regional talks in Kuala Lumpur.
A resumption of Iraq’s Kurdish oil exports is not expected in the near term, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, despite an announcement by Iraq’s federal government a day earlier stating that shipments would resume immediately.
Chinese automaker Chery has denied an industry-ministry audit that disqualified more than $53 million in state incentives for thousands of its electric and hybrid vehicles, insisting it followed official guidance and committed no fraud.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on 15 August to negotiate an end to the conflict in Ukraine. The summit, confirmed by the Kremlin, is expected to focus on a long-term peaceful resolution.
According to Bloomberg News, the United States and Russia are working toward an agreement aimed at halting the war in Ukraine by formalising Russia’s occupation of territories seized during its invasion.
A fire broke out at Cordoba’s historic mosque-cathedral on the night of 8 August but was swiftly extinguished, preventing damage to one of Spain’s most treasured architectural landmarks.
The Canadian government announced Friday it will join key allies in reducing the price cap on Russian seaborne crude oil in response to Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
Washington, D.C., will see its federal security funding reduced by $20 million this year under a Trump administration plan, despite the president’s repeated claims that crime in the capital is spiraling.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment