Serbia Chaos! Demos And Riots Break In Many Places, Dozens Of People Injured

Illustration of demonstrations turned into riots. (Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Riots broke out in anti-government demonstrations in Serbia. The riots came after the protests took place over the past nine months in many parts of Serbia.

Quoting AP, Wednesday, August 13, the demonstration became the first riot when an anti-government crowd shouted at Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in front of Serbia's Progressive Party office in Vrabas, Belgrade on Tuesday night local time.

The counter mass not far from the location then approached, throwing flares or flares, stones, and bottles. Anti-government demonstrators responded by throwing a number of objects around them.

Police Commissioner Dragan Vasiljevic said dozens of people were injured in the clashes, including 16 police officers. Several people were also arrested.

Vasiljevic added to state television stations that anti-government masses "came to attack" supporters of the ruling party who supported the Vucic Government outside the party office.

While anti-government masses said they were attacked by counter demonstrators in several places, for the first time in Vrbas, then in Backa Palanka, in Novi Sad, and in Nis City.

In Belgrade, riot police forcibly dispersed protesters gathered in the city center.

This anti-government demonstration led by students in Serbia was first held in November 2024.

This mass action began with the collapse of the roof building of a train station in Novi Sad City in northern Serbia which killed 16 people. The incident led to allegations of corruption in a state infrastructure project.

Since the incident, a wave of demonstrations have appeared in Serbia almost every day which eventually involves hundreds of thousands of people from various elements taking to the streets, shaking President Vucic's strong grip on power in Serbia.

The supporters of the president then responded recently by starting to organize a counter demonstration, which was considered to have the potential to lead to violence.