A number of protesters chanted anti-government slogans and pledged to walk back to the streets on Monday as police removed metal fences and moved trash containers in Belgrade’s Zemun district.
The police stated in a statement that numerous people had been detained, but did not provide their phone number. Those who demonstrate against a populist government that they accuse of authoritarian policies are angry about their arrests.
Protesters have demanded that those accused of plotting to overthrow the government or attacking the police be immediately released.
During a visit to Spain on Monday, President Aleksandar Vucic praised the police’s actions and said, “Citizens should not worry, the state is strong enough to secure law and order.”
After the roof collapse of a train station in Novi Sad in November, 16 people died in protests led by students over the past eight months.
Although the incident occurred shortly after the station’s renovations were complete, poor construction and widespread corruption were at the center of the incident.
In one of the largest demonstrations in recent months, 140, 000 people gathered in Belgrade on Saturday to demand a quick election to overthrow Vucic’s right-wing government. Authorities have disputed the crowd’s size, saying only about 36 000 people were demonstrating.
Nearly 50 police officers and 22 protesters were hurt in clashes with the police during the protest. Batons, pepper spray, and shields were among the items that Riot police used to fire at demonstrators who threw rocks.
About 40 people are currently facing criminal charges as a result of the altercation, according to the police. At least eight university students were taken into custody by Serbian authorities as part of their plot to attack state institutions.
The prime minister resigned and the government fell after the disaster in November due to public outcry.
Vucic, who had previously announced a snap election ahead of its scheduled 2027 date, reshuffled his cabinet and created a new government.
The president claimed that protesters had been trying to “topple Serbia” but failed by using “foreign powers” to orchestrate the Saturday demonstration.
Russia, a close neighbor, expressed concern over the protests on Monday, claiming that it might be an attempt to “color revolution,” in reference to Ukraine’s 2004 Orange Revolution.
There is no denying that the Serbian leadership will be able to bring back order in the republic in the near future, it continued.
Source: Aljazeera
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