Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said in an address to the public that the country will not be defeated through violence. His statement came after last night's mass anti-government protest in Belgrade, which escalated into clashes between demonstrators and police, TANJUG reported, quoted by BTA.
„Serbia won. You cannot defeat it through violence, as some wanted. Serbia has not stopped and will never stop“, stressed Vucic. He expressed satisfaction that the protest ended without casualties, despite the tension.
„We did not sleep last night. We were afraid of possible tragic consequences. It is a miracle that we have no deaths“, the president said.
Vučić announced that more arrests will follow due to the attacks on the police, and the identification of the suspects is ongoing. He ruled out the possibility of pardoning those detained.
Earlier today, Interior Minister Ivica Dačić informed that 48 police officers and 22 citizens were injured in last night's clashes. 77 people have been detained, of whom 38 have been arrested.
The rally, held under the motto “See you on Vidovden“, gathered, according to the organizers, about 140,000 participants, while according to official data - under 40,000.
The protests began after the tragedy in Novi Sad on November 1, 2024, when a canopy at a railway station collapsed, killing 16 people. The protesters accuse the government of corruption and shoddy construction that led to the incident, and demand political and criminal responsibility.
The organizers of the rally issued an ultimatum by 9:00 p.m. on June 28 for the government to propose dissolving parliament for early elections. Vucic categorically rejected this call.