Sun Jun 29 17:05:04 UTC 2025: ## Serbia: Mass Arrests Follow Anti-Government Protests as Vucic Accuses Organizers of “Terror”
**Belgrade, Serbia** – Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has vowed further arrests following a massive anti-government rally in Belgrade on Saturday night, which culminated in clashes between protesters and police. Of the 77 people arrested, 38 remain in custody and are now facing criminal charges, according to Interior Minister Ivica Dacic.
The rally, demanding early parliamentary elections, marked a high point in months of public dissent against Vucic’s increasingly authoritarian rule, which critics allege has stifled democratic freedoms and allowed corruption to flourish. Vucic, who has served in various high-ranking government positions for over a decade before becoming president, denies these accusations.
At a press conference on Sunday, Vucic accused the organizers of the student-led protest of inciting violence and attacking police, labeling their actions as “terror.” He singled out University of Belgrade’s head dean, Vladan Djokic, among the protesters, claiming “The time of accountability is coming.”
Clashes erupted after the official rally concluded. Police used pepper spray, batons, and shields, while protesters reportedly threw rocks, bottles, and other objects. Authorities claim 48 officers were injured, while 22 protesters sought medical attention.
Saturday’s rally was one of the largest in an eight-month wave of demonstrations sparked by a deadly train station roof collapse in Novi Sad last November, which claimed 16 lives and was widely blamed on entrenched corruption. While Prime Minister Milos Vucevic resigned following the disaster, the governing party remained in power under a reshuffled government with Vucic still as president.
Protest organizers have issued an “ultimatum” for Vucic to call elections, a demand he has repeatedly rejected. In a post-rally statement, they called for Serbians to “take freedom into your own hands,” claiming the government had the means to prevent the escalation of violence.
Vucic reiterated on Sunday that no national vote would occur before the end of 2026. He continues to allege, without providing evidence, that the protests are part of a foreign plot to destabilize his government.
The crackdown on dissent has intensified in recent weeks, with over a dozen people arrested in connection with the demonstrations.
Serbia is formally seeking European Union membership, but Vucic’s government has maintained close ties with Russia and China, a point of concern for many international observers.
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