An unprecedented number of police forces were deployed tonight in central Belgrade during a massive student-led protest against the regime of President Aleksandar Vučić.
Journalists reporting from the streets of Belgrade stated that never before in previous protests held in Serbia has such a large-scale police mobilization been witnessed, including special units, multiple security cordons, armored vehicles, and officers equipped with metal shields.
The most tense areas were reported around Pionirski Park, the Serbian Presidency, and the main streets of the city center, where dozens of police vans and gendarmerie forces blocked the movement of protesters.
According to reports, the city has been placed under heavy police control, while tensions continuously escalated following the end of the rally in Slavija, particularly during the dispersal of demonstrators.
Meanwhile, clashes between protesters and police are still ongoing.
During confrontations with protesters, police and gendarmerie forces used pepper spray and pushed crowds through several central streets of Belgrade, while numerous arrests have also been reported. The situation remains highly tense, with incidents spreading to different parts of the city and violent confrontations still continuing.
Today’s gathering comes just one week after Serbian students published a memorandum regarding Kosovo, a document that sparked strong reactions in both the public and political spheres in Kosovo.
The content of the memorandum has been interpreted as an attempt by students to articulate political and social positions on the issue of Kosovo within the framework of the country’s ongoing political crisis.
