According to the French daily Le Monde, Serbian authorities arrested 42 demonstrators in Novi Sad during a wave of protests against the government, with participants accusing officials of corruption and demanding early elections.
President Aleksandar Vučić has rejected calls for elections, accusing protesters of “threatening the stability and security of Serbia,” the paper reported. Interior Minister Ivica Dačić confirmed that police dispersed the demonstration using tear gas.
Le Monde noted that the latest rally in Novi Sad was part of a series of nationwide protests against Vučić, following the collapse of the Novi Sad railway station canopy last November, which killed 16 people.
Student-led demonstrators continue to express outrage over alleged abuses of power and corruption, demanding a transparent investigation. Since May, they have also been pushing for snap elections, which Vučić has consistently refused, describing the movement as a “conspiracy to overthrow him.”
Dačić further claimed that protesters “brutally attacked and injured 13 police officers in a shocking and seemingly planned assault.”
Le Monde underlined that protests had long been peaceful, but have recently taken a violent turn, with participants accusing police and pro-government supporters of escalating the situation through violence.
