Anti-Government Protests in Serbia Escalate Amid Calls for Civil War
Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic has accused anti-government protesters of seeking to incite civil war, following clashes between demonstrators and police in Belgrade. The protests, which coincided with the national holiday of Vidovdan, erupted after authorities rejected demands for early elections and the dissolution of parliament. Brnabic cited a protest organizer’s call for citizens to ‘take freedom into their own hands’ as evidence of a ‘monstrous’ call for violence, while also accusing Croatia of supporting the unrest to undermine President Aleksandar Vucic.
The unrest follows a wave of protests that began after the deadly collapse of a concrete canopy at a railway station in Novi Sad last November, which killed 16 people and triggered widespread public outrage. Saturday’s demonstration initially began peacefully but turned violent in the evening when some protesters began throwing eggs, bottles, and other objects at police near a downtown park where government supporters were holding a vigil. Officers responded with pepper spray and riot shields to disperse the crowd, with Interior Minister Ivica Dacic reporting six officers and two civilians injured and dozens of ‘hooligans’ arrested.
President Aleksandar Vucic, who has repeatedly claimed the protests are being instigated by foreign actors, called for national unity and urged restraint, stating, ‘Serbia always wins in the end.’ His comments follow a pattern of rhetoric that frames the dissent as an external threat to national stability, a narrative that has fueled his government’s crackdown on opposition activities.
Meanwhile, Brnabic’s accusation that the protest organizers are seeking to destroy the country has drawn criticism from some analysts, who argue that such statements risk inflaming tensions further. The incident is unfolding against the backdrop of broader political tensions in the Balkans, where the influence of neighboring states often looms large in domestic political discourse.
The situation highlights the delicate balance between maintaining internal security and respecting fundamental rights, as well as the challenges of managing public dissent in democratic systems. As the protests continue, the implications for Serbia’s political landscape and its relationships with neighboring countries will remain under close scrutiny.