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🇩🇪 Germany /Elections & Politics

Tens of Thousands Rally in Belgrade Demanding Early Elections

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Tens of thousands protested in Belgrade, Serbia, demanding early parliamentary elections.
  • The protests, fueled by anger over a deadly train station roof collapse in November 2024, are supported by millions.
  • Clashes between masked individuals and police occurred on the sidelines, resulting in 23 arrests.

Belgrade, Serbia – Tens of thousands gathered in the Serbian capital on Saturday, demanding early parliamentary elections and expressing widespread discontent with the current government.

The massive demonstration is part of a series of protests ignited by a tragic roof collapse at a train station in Novi Sad in November 2024, which claimed 16 lives. Student-led movements, which had previously occupied universities across the country, now find support from millions of citizens. Protesters hold the government, led by President Aleksandar Vučić, responsible for negligence and corruption that they believe led to the fatal accident.

Speakers at the rally, including an electrical engineering student, articulated the protesters' core demands: "They are our chance, our promise to finally fulfill – an honest government, freedom, and a dignified life." The call for early elections aims to facilitate a peaceful transition of power, as the next regular parliamentary elections are not scheduled until late 2027.

They are our chance, our promise to finally fulfill – an honest government, freedom, and a dignified life.

· Student speakerA student articulates the protesters' demands during the rally in Belgrade.

On the fringes of the main rally, tensions escalated as clashes erupted between unidentified masked individuals and the police. Interior Minister Ivica Dačić reported that 23 people were arrested following the disturbances, which occurred about a kilometer from the main gathering point. He also confirmed that an unspecified number of police officers sustained injuries. President Vučić commented on the demonstrators via Instagram, stating, "As so many times before, they revealed their violent nature."

In a move that appeared to hinder opposition mobilization, Serbian Railways announced a complete suspension of train services nationwide. While the official reason was not provided, it is widely seen as an attempt to prevent citizens from outside Belgrade from attending the protest. This tactic echoes measures taken during previous large-scale demonstrations.

As so many times before, they revealed their violent nature.

· Aleksandar VučićSerbian President commenting on the protesters' actions.
About this summary

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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