Riot police clashed with demonstrators in Belgrade on Saturday after a large antigovernment rally filled the Serbian capital. Protesters carried banners and wore T-shirts bearing the slogan of the youth movement that organized the gathering, according to Al Jazeera.
The protests trace their origin to November 2024, when a concrete canopy collapsed at a train station in northern Serbia, killing 16 people. Many Serbians blamed the collapse on corruption-fuelled negligence during renovation work involving Chinese companies. The demonstrations have persisted for more than a year, forcing then-Prime Minister Milos Vucevic to resign in January 2025.
On Saturday, Serbia's state railway company cancelled all trains to and from Belgrade. The move appeared aimed at preventing people from traveling to the capital from other parts of the country to join the rally. Despite that, the size of the turnout suggested that opposition to President Aleksandar Vucic remains strong.
Clashes broke out near a park camp of Vucic loyalists outside the Serbian presidency building. The camp, surrounded by rows of riot police in full gear, was originally set up as a human shield before a large antigovernment rally last March. Folk music played from a fenced-off area as confrontations began nearby.
Vucic was traveling to China for a state visit when the clashes occurred. In a video posted to Instagram on Saturday, he said protesters "have shown their violent nature and that they cannot stand political opponents." He added: "The state is functioning and will continue to work in line with the law."
Students on Saturday called for early elections and the rule of law, accusing the government of crime and corruption. They said they plan to challenge Vucic in elections this year. Vucic said Thursday that parliamentary elections could be held between September and November.
The Council of Europe's commissioner for human rights, Michael O'Flaherty, visited Serbia last week and released a report criticizing the government's handling of demonstrators. He cited reports of police protecting unidentified and often masked attackers of journalists and protesters and said the overall human rights situation had deteriorated since his previous visit in April 2025. He said he "will monitor the situation closely."
