BELGRADE: A crowd of around 140,000 protesters gathered in Belgrade calling for early elections, according to independent protest monitor Archive of Public Gatherings. The number was significantly higher than an earlier estimate from police of 36,000. "Around 140,000 people were present during the commemorative silence at today's protest in Slavija, organised by students in the blockade," the group said in a post on X.
Clashes between police and protesters erupted in Belgrade following a rally that drew tens of thousands calling for the populist government to hold early elections. Journalists witnessed police deploy tear gas and stun grenades as protesters threw flares and projectiles at lines of riot police.
Carrying Serbian flags and banners, many emblazoned with the names of cities and towns throughout the Balkan nation, the protest began with a rendition of the national anthem. Anti-graft protests have rocked the country since November, when the roof of a train station collapsed in the northern city of Novi Sad, killing 16 people — a tragedy widely blamed on entrenched corruption. — AFP
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