Tensions flared in the Serbian capital on Sunday night as student-led protesters clashed with supporters of President Aleksandar Vučić outside the parliament building, prompting a heavy police response and dozens of arrests.
Hundreds of riot police were deployed in central Belgrade after violent confrontations broke out between the two groups. Officers in full riot gear formed multiple rows to separate the shouting crowds as bottles, flares, and stun grenades were thrown across the barricades. A tent was set on fire during the unrest, endangering those nearby, according to Serbia’s Interior Ministry.
Authorities confirmed that at least 37 people, including several students, were arrested overnight. One police officer was reported injured. The ministry urged citizens to “refrain from acts of violence” and to avoid participating in unregistered gatherings that could endanger public safety.
The clashes came a day after tens of thousands gathered in the northern city of Novi Sad to mark the first anniversary of a train station awning collapse that killed 16 bystanders. The tragedy has since sparked a nationwide student-led protest movement demanding government accountability and political reform.
On Sunday, demonstrators in Belgrade rallied in solidarity with Dijana Hrka, the mother of one of the Novi Sad victims, Stefan Hrka. She announced a hunger strike near a tent camp outside parliament that has been occupied by Vučić’s supporters since March. Hrka said she is seeking justice for her son’s death and the 15 other victims, demanding that those responsible for alleged negligence in the station’s renovation be held accountable.
President Vučić accused the protesters of attacking what he called a “symbol of freedom,” referring to the supporters’ camp. Protest leaders, however, blamed Vučić’s followers for instigating most of the violence. Demonstrations were also held in Novi Sad and other Serbian towns in support of Hrka’s cause.
The protesters claim that corruption and safety violations during renovation work on Novi Sad’s train station led to the fatal collapse. They are calling for the release of detained demonstrators and demanding that Vučić call snap elections.
The government has kept a constant police presence around the pro-Vučić camp since it was established earlier this year. A shooting incident at the site last month, described by Vučić as “an act of terror,” has heightened fears of further unrest in the capital as political divisions deepen across Serbia.
