More than 40 police officers have been injured during anti-government protests in Serbia overnight, the country’s interior minister Ivica Dačić confirmed.
Several officers suffered serious injuries, including broken arms and legs, and authorities reported the arrest of 37 people.
Security forces used tear gas during clashes in the capital, Belgrade, pushing demonstrators towards Slavija Square. The confrontations between protesters and police remained ongoing into the night.
The unrest follows a series of demonstrations that began on Wednesday night in the towns of Vrbas and Bačka Palanka, where protesters demanded early elections.
The current wave of protests can be traced back to 1 November 2024, when the roof of a canopy at the Novi Sad railway station collapsed, killing 16 people.
The tragedy prompted extensive investigations, which on 1 August led to the arrest of 12 individuals, including former Minister of Construction and Infrastructure Tomislav Momirović, and his successor Goran Vesić, who was in hospital at the time of his detention.
Serbian authorities have claimed that the demonstrations are being orchestrated by Western intelligence agencies following the model of color revolutions.
President Aleksandar Vučić has also alleged that anti-government sentiment among Serbian youth is being fueled and funded from Brussels.
Follow the latest news on Google News
