New violent protests in Serbia

TT

Published 2026-05-23 23.09

 

Riot police on the streets of Belgrade as demonstrations turned violent on Saturday. Photo: Darko Vojinovic/AP/TT

An estimated tens of thousands of people took part in anti-government demonstrations in the Serbian capital Belgrade – after which violence erupted once again.

Clashes broke out when the organized demonstrations broke out. Masked men threw stones, bottles and firecrackers at the police, who responded with tear gas. Several people are said to have been arrested.

Protests against the government and corruption in the country have been recurring since November 2025, when 16 people died in a roof collapse at a train station in the city of Novi Sad. What initially were calls for a transparent investigation have evolved into demands for new elections.

President Aleksandar Vucic has raised the issue of new elections on several occasions, and on Thursday he said they could be held this fall. The current term of office ends in 2027.

According to the police, nearly 35,000 people took part in the demonstrations.