Protesters from all over were marching in Belgrade on Saturday as the government struggles to stem the monthslong outrage .
Gatherings are being held in multiple locations in the Serbian capital. Farmers, bikers, military veterans and other groups joined the demonstrations, with approach routes to key sites clogged by large crowds.
“In front of the parliament there is already a large number of people, and we have seen several processions by bikers and tractor drivers,” DW correspondent Sanja Klajic reported from the scene.
To follow .
Unexplained noise startles protesters during solemn silence
At least one person was severely injured after being beaten by several people during protests, though circumstances remain unclear.
Also an unexplained loud noise, similar to an incoming projectile or a falling aircraft, was heard during 15-minute silence honoring 15 victims of the Novi Sad tragedy, startling the crowd and causing protesters to briefly flee one of Belgrade’s streets.
While the origin of the noise remains unclear, independent news outlet N1 quoted military analyst Aleksandar Radic as saying that the sound was caused by an acoustic weapon. Radic described it as a “sonic cannon,” which is part of the arsenal available to the Serbian security services. An opposition lawmaker made a similar claim about the source of the noise, N1 reported.
“The only goal of this act is a brutal demonstration of force, a proof of arrogance, motivated by the hatred towards one’s own people,” Radic told N1.
However, the police soon denied using the sonic cannon, saying that this action “would not have been in accordance with the law.”
NGO says rally likely ‘biggest in Belgrade’s history’
The number of participants was not immediately clear. The Interior Ministry estimated around 107,000 protesters, although some independent media give a much higher number in what is likely the largest protest at least since .
“Everything indicates this is the biggest rally in Belgrade’s history,” Serbian NGO Arhiv javnih skupova, which specializes in counting protesters at various events, said in an online post, with an estimated count of participants yet to come.
They also published videos from downtown Belgrade showing immense crowds.
What are the protests about?
The Saturday march is seen as a culmination of . The protesters are demanding accountability for the deaths of 15 people in Novi Sad who were killed by falling rubble as the outdoor roof section of a train station caved in on them. The train station had been recently renovated under murky circumstances, with the involvement of Chinese companies and businesses with alleged ties to the ruling Progressive Party (SNS).
Serbian officials initially claimed no work had been done on the canopy, but later admitted this part of the building was also altered during the reconstruction.
The protesters accuse the government of withholding key documents linked to the renovation effort. The government, led by strongman , insists all necessary papers have already been made public.
In a wider sense, the movement has also encapsulated a whole range of complaints against Vucic and his government, including allegations of widespread corruption, nepotism, and muddled responses to previous deadly incidents linked to government officials.
Serbian amid protests.
Vucic: ‘We have a state and we will show you the state’
While the rally officially started on Saturday afternoon, thousands of students and other participants arrived to Belgrade on Friday evening amid fears that the government would attempt to block transport links to the city.
Also on Friday evening, President Vucic warned of possible violence and repeated his claims that Western intelligence services were behind the unrest.
“I won’t allow the street to set the rules,” he said.
Vucic, who became the country’s undisputed political leader in 2014, is considered a nationalist but has pursued a carefully balanced foreign policy and boasts and the EU, as well as with Moscow and Beijing.
Days ahead of the Saturday march, Vucic warned that officials will “arrest all troublemakers.”
“We have a state and we will show you the state,” he said.
Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah
The post Serbia: Protesters flood Belgrade with Vucic under pressure appeared first on Deutsche Welle.
