Tens of Thousands in Serbia Join Anti-Vuvic Rally, Demanding Early Elections

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Serbia, echoing the demand for early parliamentary elections and declaring the Aleksander Vucic-led government "illegitimate."

As reported by Arab News and France24, the protest came after nearly eight months of continuous demonstrations led by Serbian students, shaking Vucic's tight grip on power in the Balkan country.

The crowd chanted "We want elections!" as they filled the Slavija Square in the city center and several blocks nearby.

“Elections are a clear way out of the social crisis caused by the deeds of the government, which is undoubtedly against the interests of their own people,” said one student, who did not mention her name while addressing the crowd on stage.

“Today, on June 28, 2025, we declare the current authorities illegitimate.”

At the end of the official part of the rally, the students told the crowd to "take freedom into your own hands."

The Serbian police, tightly controlled by Vucic's government, said that 36,000 people attended the initial protests on Saturday.

Tensions escalated before and during the event. Riot police were deployed around government buildings and near Vucic's loyalist camp in downtown Beograd.

The Serbian police fired tear gas at thousands of anti-government protesters demanding quick elections and an end to President Aleksandar Vucic's 12-year rule.

Students have been a major force behind the national anti-corruption protests that began after the renovated train station roof collapsed, killing 16 people on November 1.

Many blamed the collapse on rampant government corruption and negligence in state infrastructure projects, leading to repeated mass protests.

“We are here today because we cannot take it any more,” student Darko Kovacevic said. “This has been going on for too long. We are mired in corruption.”

Vucic and his right-wing Serbian Progressive Party have repeatedly rejected demands for early elections and accused protesters of planning to incite violence at the behest of foreign orders, which they did not specify.

Vucic's authorities have cracked down on striking Serbian universities and other opponents, while increasing pressure on independent media as they try to suppress demonstrations.

Although the number of people has dwindled in recent weeks, the massive anti-Vucic demonstrations on Saturday showed that the determination remains, despite relentless pressure and almost eight months of near-daily protests.

Saturday marked St. Vitus Day, a religious holiday when Serbs commemorate the 14th-century battle against the Ottoman Turks in Kosovo, which carries symbolic significance.

In their speeches, some speakers at the student rally on Saturday addressed the theme, which was also used to stoke Serbian nationalism in the 1990s, which later led to incitement of ethnic wars following the breakup of former Yugoslavia.

Hours before the student-led rally, Vucic's party transported its own supporters to Belgrade from various regions of the country, many wearing T-shirts with the inscription:

“We won’t give up Serbia.” They joined Vucic's loyalist camp in downtown Belgrade where they have been staying in tents since mid-March.

In a show of business-as-usual, Vucic presented presidential awards in the capital to those he deemed worthy, including artists and journalists.

“People need not worry — the state will be defended and thugs brought to justice,” Vucic told reporters on Saturday.

Presidential and parliamentary elections in Serbia are scheduled for 2027.

Earlier this week, police arrested several people accused of planning to overthrow the government and barred them from entering the country, without explanation. Some were from Croatia and a theater director from Montenegro.

Serbian railway company stopped train services due to alleged bomb threats in what critics say is a real attempt to prevent people from traveling to Belgrade for the rally.

The authorities took similar actions in March, ahead of the largest anti-government protests in the Balkan country, which drew hundreds of thousands.

Vucic, a former hardline nationalist, has become increasingly authoritarian since coming to power more than a decade ago. While he officially says he wants Serbia to join the European Union, critics say Vucic has curbed democratic freedoms as he strengthens ties with Russia and China.

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