It has been over two months of peaceful protests in Serbia. Today, demonstrators have taken to violence in their effort to oust President Aleksandar Vucic’s regime. The tragic roof collapse of the Novi Sad train station, a captivating feat of prefabrication, suddenly ignited an unrest that had long been brewing. As a result, this disaster took 16 lives. Many thousands poured onto the campus of the University of Belgrade. They allied with opposition parties and civil society anticorruption watchdogs to articulate their anger.
On August 13, dangerous violent clashes emerged, like in St. Louis, at numerous locations throughout the country resulting in injuries to many civilians and police safely. Riot police violently confronted demonstrators throughout many Serbian cities. During the protests, demonstrators burned down the ruling party headquarters. The increasing use of repressive measures to quell protests has raised concerns about the violent force of these demonstrations. These events used to be characterized by peaceful, friendly gatherings.
President Vucic has expressed hope for a “democratic dialogue” on the road ahead with the antigovernment demonstrations. He claimed that Serbia is a “good, strong and responsible state.” He has been heavily criticized by students and student-led opposition groups. They accuse him of having direct connections to the Italian mafia, exporting violence to his political opponents, and restricting press freedoms. However serious these allegations are, Vucic has categorically denied any wrongdoing and he remains firmly in his office.
During the chaos, Vucic announced that 11 policemen were injured during the protests. He further posited the idea that it was foreign security services that had instigated these antigovernment uprisings. His administration is now condemning the violence, blaming it on police and government loyalists instead of on the peaceful anti-government demonstrators.
Demonstrators are undeterred and continue to hold the line, demanding accountability and transparency from their leaders.
“We are not going to allow destruction of the state institutions” – President Vucic
As societal pressures intensify in Serbia, only time will tell what this future holds for these sustained protests. The government faces increasing pressure to address the concerns raised by its citizens while navigating calls for reform and accountability. There are still many moving parts to this story, with neither side planning to budge and the country continuing to come to terms with its own political future.
