Violence has seeped into more than a dozen Serbian cities on the fifth consecutive night of an uprising against President Aleksandar Vucic, as peaceful antigovernment protests swell. Protests followed the collapse of the nursery wing of a railway station in November. The disaster, which killed 16 people, brought international attention to the widespread corruption in the Serbian government. As public outrage grew, calls for an independent investigation quickly shifted to demands for snap elections.
In Valjevo, thousands took to the streets to signal their increasing anger at the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). Amidst the turmoil, a small group of masked young men vandalized and set fire to the empty offices of the SNS party. The violent confrontations led to many injuries on both sides. In reaction to these protests, police in Belgrade responded with tear gas, using it to clear protesters.
These explosive protests were characterized by the tactics of demonstrators building barricades, or breaking windows, and confronting police. Violent clashes between police and protesters erupted when police started preventing protesters from moving towards the SNS party’s headquarters. Serbian paramedics who treated injured antigovernment demonstrators during these clashes tell The Daily Beast that the actions of the police have often been deliberate.
That’s when the protests began to flare up violently. They led to sweeping political consequences, such as the prime minister’s resignation and the collapse of his government. Only a few weeks into these protests, President Aleksandar Vucic is taking a hard line in response to the protests. Even in the face of profound dissatisfaction, he demonstrates remarkable loyalty to his administration.
The unrest has drawn hundreds of thousands into the streets at its peak, reflecting deep-rooted frustrations among citizens regarding corruption and governance in Serbia. With calls for both accountability and a demand for meaningful change still in the air, this is a still-shifting moment on the country’s political landscape.
