Thousands converge on Serbia’s capital for anti-government rally

Tens of thousands of people swarmed the streets of Serbia’s capital Belgrade on Friday, staging a joyful prelude to a major anti-government rally at the weekend and dealing a blow to populist President Aleksandar Vucic.

The citizens of Belgrade came out to welcome thousands of university students from across the country for the rally on Saturday that is expected to draw even more people.

Saturday’s protest is seen as a culmination of months of anti-corruption demonstrations that have posed the biggest challenge so far to Mr Vucic’s decade-long firm grip on power in Serbia.

Flares, fireworks and flag-waving crowds filled the streets in stark contrast to weeks of fear-mongering spread by Mr Vucic’s populists to dissuade people from attending the rally.

The autocratic leader has repeatedly warned that violence is planned at the rally and threatened arrests over any incidents.

His supporters have been camping in the city centre, fuelling fears of clashes with the protesters.

At a news conference on Friday, a defiant Mr Vucic again said that authorities have received multiple reports of alleged planned unrest and described Saturday’s rally as “illegal”.

He reiterated claims that western intelligence services were behind the protests with the aim of ousting him from power.

“I do not accept blackmail, I will not agree to pressure, I am the president of Serbia and I won’t allow the street to set the rules,” Mr Vucic said.

Students have led the nationwide movement, which started after a concrete canopy collapsed at a train station and killed 15 people in Serbia’s north more than four months ago.

Earlier, police detained six opposition activists on suspicion of “preparing actions against the constitutional order and security” a day after an alleged recording of their meeting was broadcast on pro-government television stations on Thursday.

“The Serbian state will do everything to secure peace,” Mr Vucic said. “Those disrupting peace will be arrested and severely punished.”

The protesters did not seem to care. Marko Vukovic, a student from Belgrade said he went to “support my friends, colleagues and all the citizens who think for themselves, to fight for a more just Serbia”.

Many people cried, laughed and screamed with joy. Protesting students have struck a chord among the citizens who are disillusioned with politicians and have lost faith in the state institutions.

Previous student-led rallies in other Serbian cities have been peaceful while drawing huge crowds.

The European Union’s mission in Serbia said on Friday that “freedom of assembly is a fundamental right” and the safety of participants and institutions must be ensured.

“Violence must be avoided,” the EU said.

Serbia is formally seeking EU membership, but the governing populists have been accused of stifling democratic freedoms while strengthening relations with Russia and China.