Unrest erupts outside Serbian Parliament as officers detain dozens

Serbian police have detained 37 people suspected of involvement in riots near the parliament building in Belgrade.

Law enforcement continues to identify and arrest all participants in the unrest, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Interior Ministry’s press service.

The clashes occurred on Sunday evening, November 2, when two groups — protesters supporting the hunger strike of a mother whose son died in the Novi Sad railway station collapse, and pro-government supporters from the “Chaciland” tent camp — gathered outside parliament.

Police and gendarmerie cordons separated the demonstrators.

President Aleksandar Vučić accused the protesters of attacking government supporters’ tents with fireworks and assaulting the offices of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party in seven towns across the country.

The Interior Ministry reported that one police officer sustained injuries in the clashes.

The unrest followed months of rising public anger over the Novi Sad railway station collapse in November 2024, which killed 16 people and triggered nationwide protests demanding accountability.

The tragedy became a symbol of alleged corruption and government negligence, fueling civic movements across Serbia.

On November 2, 2025, the mother of one of the victims, Dijana Hrka, began a hunger strike outside the parliament, calling for those responsible to face justice.

Her action drew large crowds of supporters, joined by students and activists who have repeatedly accused President Aleksandar Vučić’s administration of suppressing dissent and failing to investigate the disaster transparently.

The government’s supporters, meanwhile, gathered in a nearby tent camp known as “Chaciland,” organised to show solidarity with the president.

By Jeyhun Aghazada