"Anti-government protesters and supporters of President Aleksandar Vucic held parallel rallies throughout Serbia on Saturday, reflecting a deep political crisis in the Balkan country following more than 10 months of protests against the populist government. Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party recently started organizing its own demonstrations to counter persistent student-led protests that have challenged the president's firm grip on power in Serbia."
"Vucic has refused a student demand to call an early parliamentary election. He has instead stepped up a crackdown on the protests, which have drawn hundreds of thousands of people in the past months. More than 100 university professors have been dismissed, while police have faced accusations of brutality against peaceful demonstrators. Vucic has accused student-led protesters of being terrorists who are working against their country under orders from the West. He hasn't offered any evidence for such claims."
Parallel rallies by anti-government protesters and supporters of President Vucic occurred across Serbia, underscoring a deep political crisis after more than ten months of demonstrations. Police separated the two camps and briefly pushed back anti-government protesters in Belgrade during clashes when Vucic joined his supporters. Vucic stated people want to live normally, not be harassed, and to be free, and he refused a student demand for an early parliamentary election. The government intensified a crackdown, dismissing over 100 university professors amid accusations of police brutality. The protests began after a Novi Sad canopy collapse that killed 16 and spurred demands for justice and anti-corruption accountability.
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