Serbian police clash with protesters at university campus

Serbian police used teargas and stun grenades on September 5 at the University of Novi Sad to disperse protesters calling for a snap vote that could potentially remove President Aleksandar Vucic and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) from power.

Thousands gathered at the state university campus on the evening of September 5, holding banners with slogans such as “We don’t want blockades, we want elections” and “Students have one urgent demand: Call elections.” The crowd also chanted, “Vucic leave," CNN reports. 

Protesters clashed with police in front of the philosophy faculty and threw flares, prompting the authorities to respond with teargas and stun grenades.

The demonstrations are part of months of protests across Serbia, including blockades at state universities, triggered by the deaths of 16 people last November when the roof of a renovated railway station collapsed.

While many protests have been peaceful, clashes on August 13 resulted in injuries to dozens of police officers and civilians.

Protesters have cited corruption in connection with the Novi Sad railway station disaster and are calling for early elections in the hope of ousting Vucic and his party.

Students, opposition groups, and anti-corruption organisations have also accused Vucic and his allies of links to organized crime, using violence against political opponents, and suppressing media freedoms – allegations the president and his party deny.

“The solution is to call elections,” said Nebojsa Korac, one of the protesters. “On our side, we want peace and democracy to prevail, and for political institutions to do their job. That means calling elections, and that will be the solution, because the government will change.”

By Sabina Mammadli