Thousands rally in Belgrade to condemn police brutality at anti-government protests
Thousands of students and other demonstrators marched in Belgrade on September 8, demanding accountability for police violence during recent anti-government protests, RFE/RL reported.
Demonstrators accused Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic of refusing to call snap elections and denounced what they described as a crackdown on dissent.
Police were accused of beating protesters with batons, deploying rubber bullets, and using tear gas, while state media was accused of spreading disinformation to justify the violence.
Outside the headquarters of a special police unit, protesters splashed red paint and chanted “He is finished,” referencing Vucic.
Vucic, a right-wing populist leader with authoritarian tendencies and warm ties with Russia, has repeatedly accused foreign states of inciting the protests in order to topple his government. He is provided no evidence to support these claims.
The current wave of protests in Serbia began in November, when a train station roof in the town of Novi Sad collapsed, killing 15. The disaster was blamed on government corruption.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Serbia has attempted to navigate a delicate diplomatic path between Moscow and the West.
