Following mass student protests in the Serbian capital, President Aleksandar Vucic recognised the ” huge negative energy and anger” directed at the country’s authorities and promised that “we will have to change ourselves”.
“All people in the government have to understand the message when such a large number of people gather. We will have to change ourselves,” he told a press conference on 15 March as tens of thousands of people gathered in the streets of Belgrade. However, he insisted that the majority of citizens do not want a “colour revolution”.
Vucic said authorities estimated the number of protesters at between 88,000 and 107,000.
However, the Public Assembly Archive, an unofficial organisation estimating the number of protesters in Serbia, said between 275,000 and 325,000 people took part in the Belgrade demonstration.
Minor incidents occurred around 19: 00 near Pioneer Park, where students set up camp, after which participants announced that the protest would end for the night.
Protesters also clashed with police in several other locations in Belgrade, throwing flares and bottles.
Vucic said 56 people were injured during the protest, but without life-threatening injuries.
He said 22 people had been detained for property offences and for attacking police officers and others.
Yesterday’s demonstration was the largest in a wave of student protests demanding the Vucic government be held accountable for the collapse of a cement shed at a railway station in November that killed 15 people.
The collapse of a concrete canopy at the railway station in the city of Novi Sad sparked protests that could be the biggest challenge to Vucic’s political power.
Student demonstrations have turned into a larger movement. Activists say they oppose the crackdown on the rule of law and systemic corruption under the rule of Aleksandar Vucic, who has been the country’s president since 2017 and served as prime minister for three years before that.