Tens of thousands of Serbs demonstrated on Friday in Belgrade for Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. With the mass rally, Serbia's head of state responded to the weekly protests of the opposition and government-critical citizens, which have been ongoing since the end of last year. "Thank you, that (...) you appreciate us, who we want a dignified, modern Serbia, more than those who only want to endanger and destroy it," said Vucic.
Hundreds of buses, which had brought participants from all over the country to Belgrade, lined in several rows a kilometer-long boulevard in the center of Belgrade. As opposition media reported, cities and regions had been given precise guidelines on how many people had to mobilize them for the President's rally under the motto "The Future of Serbia." Almost all municipalities in Serbia are controlled by the Vucic Party SNS.
The protests of the opposition in Belgrade and many other cities are usually attended by thousands, and sometimes tens of thousands of people. They protest against the restriction of media freedom under Vucic and against the climate of hatred against dissidents and dissidents. They demand the resignation of the president and new elections, but so far have not been able to submit a convincing program.