Serbia’s Police Clear Blockades After Weekend Protests Turned Chaotic

Serbian authorities have now removed multiple street blockades in the capital city of Belgrade. It comes after violent weekend protests that demanded snap parliamentary elections and accountability for what the protestors dubbed recent infrastructure failures.

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According to local media, thousands of demonstrators had erected barriers using metal fencing and garbage containers in central Belgrade, including on the vital Sava River bridge, protesting the arrests of anti-government activists after a massive student-led rally. The protest marked the latest flashpoint in an eight-month-long movement opposing President Aleksandar Vučić’s administration.

Footage circulating on social media showed police vehicles charging through blockades at high speed, triggering panic and chaos. Officials confirmed detaining an unspecified number of individuals. At least 22 protesters and nearly 50 police officers were injured during Saturday night’s clashes, where police used batons and tear gas to disperse crowds.

The protests were sparked by public outrage over the deadly collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad last month that killed 16 people — an incident critics blame on corruption and mismanagement of state infrastructure projects.

President Vučić has so far refused demands to call early elections, which are scheduled for 2027. He accused protest organizers, including university students and faculty, of “spreading terror” and seeking to destabilize Serbia.

According to Euronews and Al Jazeera, more than 40 individuals now face criminal charges, while demonstrations are expected to continue across Serbia.