Large-scale protests broke out in the Serbian capital

On June 28, local time, large-scale protests broke out in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, with protesters demanding the dissolution of parliament and early elections, and clashed with police. Serbian President Vucic vowed earlier in the day to “defend the country”, reiterated that the protests were instigated by “foreign forces”, and warned activists not to resort to violence.

According to AFP, this protest was the largest in months and coincided with Serbia’s St. Vitus Day, the anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo between Turkey and Serbia in 1389. Serbian police estimated that the number of participants reached 36,000, while the independent protest monitoring agency Archive of Public Gatherings said the size of the protest crowd was about 140,000.

According to reports, compared with previous peaceful rallies, protesters clashed with riot police this time. Police fired tear gas and flash bombs in several clashes, and protesters threw flares at police, who later detained dozens of protesters.

Before the protest on the 28th, organizers issued an “ultimatum” to Vucic, asking him to announce the election before 9 pm local time, but Vucic rejected the request long before the deadline. Vucic has repeatedly stated that the protests are a conspiracy by foreign forces to destroy the local government.

Earlier in the day, Vucic emphasized that there were “foreign forces” behind the protests. He expected that demonstrators might take violent actions during the protests that evening demanding early parliamentary elections, and although the police should exercise restraint, they warned that violence would not be tolerated.

“We will defend the country and the thugs will be brought to justice,” he told reporters in Belgrade.

Vucic also emphasized on social media Instagram that the protesters tried to overthrow the country. “They (protesters) wanted to overthrow Serbia, but they failed.”

The police deployed a large number of riot police around government buildings, parliament and nearby Pionirski Park. At the same time, a large number of Vucic supporters from all over the country also gathered here for a confrontation rally.

After the protest ended around 10 p.m., some protesters who were reluctant to leave began throwing bottles, stones and flares at the police, who then used force to disperse them at multiple locations in downtown Belgrade.

Serbian Police Chief Dragan Vasilević said at a press conference on the evening of the 28th that the police arrested dozens of protesters and six police officers were injured in the clashes.

Interior Minister Ivica Dacic issued a statement saying that the police would take action to maintain public order. “The police will take all measures to restore public order and peace… and will exercise all powers to fight back against attacks and arrest all attackers.”

The day the protest was held (June 28) was a very symbolic day for Serbia. In the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, Serbian Grand Duke Lazar Hrebeljanovic and Turkish Sultan Murad I were both killed. This event had a decisive impact on the formation of the Serbian national spirit and worldview. On June 28, 1914, Serbian student Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austrian throne, in Sarajevo, an incident that triggered the First World War.

Entering the 21st century, on June 28, 2001, the Belgrade authorities handed over former Yugoslav President Milosevic to the International Court of Justice in The Hague. The politician died of illness on March 11, 2006 at the age of 65 before the trial was over.

Since the collapse of the railway station roof in November last year, large-scale demonstrations have frequently erupted in Serbia. The Vucic government said that the tragedy cast a great shadow on the past year and the government’s work.

On January 28 this year, the then Serbian Prime Minister Vucevic held a press conference and announced his resignation as prime minister. Vucevic explained, “In order to avoid further complications, I made this decision so that we will not further exacerbate social tensions.”