Opponents and loyalists of Serbia’s autocratic president clash in Belgrade | Serbia
Hundreds of riot police separated opponents of Serbia’s autocratic president Aleksandar Vučić and his loyalists As political tensions rise after a year of anti-government protests, an incident took place in the center of Belgrade on Sunday.
Thousands of people faced each other on both sides of the police cordon, with officers in riot gear standing in several rows among the screaming crowds throwing bottles and flares at each other.
Tensions in Belgrade escalated a day after tens of thousands of people attended a massive rally marking the first anniversary of the train station disaster in the northern city of Novi Sad, which killed 16 people and triggered a youth-led movement demanding political changes challenging Vučić’s tight grip on power.
Anti-government protesters in Belgrade gathered in support of Dijana Hrka, mother of Stefan Hrka, one of the Novi Sad victims of the station tragedy. Hrka said early Sunday that he had launched a hunger strike near a tent camp outside the parliament building, which has been occupied by Vučić loyalists since March.
Protesters also gathered in support of Hrka in Novi Sad and some smaller towns on Sunday evening.
The commemorative rally held in Novi Sad on Saturday also reflected fierce discontent with Vučić’s 13-year increasingly authoritarian rule. Youth-led protesters are demanding early elections that they hope will remove the populist government from power.
Protesters believe that widespread government corruption and nepotism during renovations at the Novi Sad station building led to neglect and disregard of construction safety rules, which led to the concrete dome collapsing on people standing below.
Hrka said he wants responsibility for the death of his son and 15 other victims. He also demanded that all detained protesters be released and that Vučić schedule early parliamentary elections, as requested by university students at the forefront of the demonstrations.
Vučić set up the loyalists’ camp ahead of a major rally in Belgrade in March. The closed area, popularly known as “Caciland”, apparently acts as a human shield for Vučić, filling a park and street between his office and the parliament building.
While the area was closed to Belgrade residents, police took security measures in the camp. A shooting incident there last month triggered fears of violence.
Authorities have cracked down on protesters in recent months, with hundreds detained and police breaking up protests. Pro-government media and officials called the protesting university students “terrorists” and accused them of inciting violence.
