The President of Serbia promises more arrests after huge antigan demonstrations | Protests

Out of 77 people arrested, 38 remain in detention, most of which are now faced with criminal charges.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that many other anti -government demonstrators will be arrested, while clashes with the police during a massive night rally demanding the early legislative elections marked a crescendo of a one -month public dissent.

At a press conference on Sunday, the populist leader accused the organizers of Protest led by Saturday students In the capital, Belgrade, of incitement to violence and attacks against the police.

“There will be much more arrest for attacking the police … This is not the end,” said Vucic, accusing the demonstrators of having caused “terror”.

The clashes broke out after the end of the official part of the rally. Police used peppery gas, batons and shields while the demonstrators threw rocks, bottles and other objects.

Critics claim that Vucic has become more and more authoritarian since his arrival in power over ten years ago, after being first Vice-Prime Minister from 2012 to 2014 and the Prime Minister from 2014 to 2017 before becoming president, deflated democratic freedoms while allowing corruption and the organization of crime to flourish. He denies the accusations.

The rally on Saturday was one of the greatest months of eight sustained demonstrations launched by the Collapse the roof in a station In the city of Novi Sad in November, killing 16 people – a tragedy largely attributed to rooted corruption.

After the outcry on the disaster, Prime Minister Milos Vucevic resigned, but the ruling party continued in power, with a reworked government and Vucic still in office.

The authorities put the size of the crowd at 36,000 – well below an independent estimate by the archives of public gatherings of around 140,000.

During his press conference, Vucic also criticized the “terrorists and those who tried to bring down the state”, distinguishing the head of the University of Belgrade, Vladan Djokic, who was one of the demonstrators.

“Take freedom in your own hands”

“Serbia has won. You can’t destroy Serbia with violence,” said Vucic. “They consciously wanted to stimulate blood effusions. The time of responsibility happens. “

The demonstrators say that the current populist government is “illegitimate” and which has the responsibility of any violence in the government.

The police said on Sunday that 48 police officers were injured while 22 demonstrators had asked for medical aid. Out of 77 people arrested, 38 remain in detention, most of whom face criminal charges, said Interior Minister Ivica Dacic.

Before the demonstration on Saturday, the organizers had published an “ultimatum” for Vucic to call the elections – a request which he rejected several times.

After the rally, the organizers made a statement to the crowd calling the Serbs to “take freedom in your hands” and give them the “green light”.

“The authorities had all the mechanisms and all the time to respond to requests and prevent an escalation,” the organizers said in a press release on Instagram.

Vucic reiterated that there would be no national vote before the end of 2026 on Sunday.

He said on several occasions that demonstrations were part of a foreign plot to destroy his 12 -year -old government, without providing any evidence.

More than a dozen people have been arrested in recent weeks, a repression which has now become a routine to large demonstrations.

Serbia officially seeks members of the European Union, but the government of Vucic has had close relations with Russia and China.