Out of 77 people arrested, 38 remain in custody, most of whom are now facing criminal charges.Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has said many more antigovernment protesters will be arrested, as clashes with police at a massive night-time rally demanding early parliamentary elections marked a crescendo of months-long public dissent.
At a news conference on Sunday, the populist leader accused the organisers of Saturday’s student-led protest in the capital, Belgrade, of inciting violence and attacks on police.
“There will be many more arrested for attacking police … this is not the end,” Vucic said, accusing the protesters of causing “terror”.
Clashes erupted after the official part of the rally ended. Police used pepper spray, batons and shields while protesters threw rocks, bottles and other objects.
Critics say Vucic has become increasingly authoritarian since coming to power more than a decade ago, having served as first deputy prime minister from 2012 to 2014 and prime minister from 2014 to 2017 before becoming president, stultifying democratic freedoms while allowing corruption and organised crime to flourish. He denies the accusations.
Saturday’s rally was one of the largest in eight sustained months of demonstrations triggered by the roof collapse at a train station in the city of Novi Sad in November, killing 16 people – a tragedy widely blamed on entrenched corruption.
Following the outcry over the disaster, Prime Minister M …