In a bid to put an end to President Aleksandar Vucic’s 12-year rule, thousands of anti-corruption protesters have taken to the streets of Belgrade, Serbia’s capital, and demanded an early election.
The protests, which were organized by Serbia’s university students, were attended by a large number of police officers wearing riot gear.
The students were the catalyst for the nationwide demonstrations that began almost eight months ago after the fatal collapse of a renovated concrete rail station roof in Novi Sad, which resulted in the death of 16 people.
Many Serbians claim that the tragedy of November was the result of alleged corruption and carelessness in the state infrastructure projects.
Milos Vucevic, the prime minister, resigned at the start of this year despite pressure, but Vucic continues to be in power.
In what critics claimed was an ostensible attempt to stop people from visiting Belgrade for the rally, Serbia’s railway company suspended train service over an alleged bomb threat.
Vucic’s party sent buses filled with its own supporters from other parts of the country hours before the rally at Slavija Square and Nemanjina Avenue, many of whom were wearing T-shirts that read, “We won’t give up Serbia.”
Since mid-March, loyalists have been camping close to Vucic’s office in central Belgrade.
Vucic, a populist whose Progressive Party-led coalition currently holds 156 of 250 parliamentary seats, claimed unnamed “foreign powers” were to blame for the demonstration. He urged restraint for law enforcement, but warned that “thugs will face justice.”
Vucic has previously opposed parliamentary elections and has vowed to run for president until 2027, when parliamentary elections are scheduled to take place.
But his hold on power has been stifled, with opponents accusing him and his allies of being involved in organized crime, violent against rivals, and restricting media freedoms, all of which they deny.
Source: Aljazeera
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