BELGRADE: Forty-two people were detained at an anti-government protest in the Serbian city of Novi Sad where police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, the interior minister said on Saturday. Several thousand people rallied in Novi Sad late on Friday seeking early elections in the latest in a series of student-led protests across Serbia sparked by the fatal collapse of the northern city's train station roof last November. "Students have one urgent demand: Call elections", read a large banner carried by the protesters.
After speeches the protesters marched towards the city's university campus where police used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse them. Protesters had earlier thrown flares and bottles at the police, according to the Beta news agency. Thirteen police officers were injured in a "massive and brutal attack" by the protesters and 42 people were detained, Interior Minister Ivica Dacic told state-run RTS television on Saturday.
Vucic late on Friday accused the protesters of trying to "threaten the stability and security of Serbia" and "occupy the university premises in Novi Sad". "People in Serbia should know that the state is stronger than anyone ... that will always be the case," he said. Pro-government rallies will be held across Serbia on Sunday, the president added. — AFP
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