A supporter of Serbian President was shot and injured outside parliament in the capital Belgrade on Wednesday.
The shooting occurred in a tent, set up by Vucic supporters to keep — who have been — at bay.
Vucic, speaking to reporters, called the attack an act of “terrorism,” blaming it on his political opponents.
In a video recorded by the attacker during his arrest, he said: “I did this so they (police) would kill me. I did not know anyone in the tents. I am from Belgrade, and this (the tents) annoys me. I don’t like occupation of the city center.”
The 70-year-old male gunman — who entered one of the tents carrying a can of gasoline he intended to use to burn the structures down — told authorities that he acted alone.
The Vucic supporter was shot after he discovered the perpetrator preparing his arson attack. A video from the scene showed an injured victim hobbling away and flames rising for the tent.
The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital and was immediately operated upon according to Serbia’s health minister.
What have Vucic, opposition said about the shooting?
President Vucic said the incident showed the danger anti-government protests pose and further blamed “certain media and politicians” for the shooting.
“There is no doubt that there was a political motivation behind all this,” he said. “It is a miracle that in the past 11 months we did not have any casualties.”
Vucic urged supporters to refrain from retaliation, saying, “revenge has never brought anyone any good.”
Speaking with Reuters news agency, Savo Manojlovic of the opposition Move Change party said, “The creation of an artificial camp with tents and a landfill in the city center to provoke further confrontation, hatred and division is the responsibility of the institutions that allowed such misuse.”
One of the wrote on social media Wednesday, “our path has never been a path of violence.”
What are anti-government protests in Serbia about?
has been the scene of street protests targeting Vucic since last November, when the collapse of a newly renovated train station awning in the city of Novi Sad killed 16 people, sparking mass protests decrying government corruption and neglect.
Protesters began with calls for a transparent investigation but quickly escalated their demands, insisting on early elections in the nation.
Edited by: Jenipher Camino Gonzalez
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