Serbia: thousands of demonstrators in Belgrade in support of President Vucic

Tens of thousands of people gathered on Friday 26 May in Belgrade in support of President Aleksandar Vucic, on the eve of a new opposition demonstration.

President Aleksandar Vucic addresses supporters outside parliament in Belgrade, May 26, 2023. AP - Marko Drobnjakovic

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Cold shower for President Aleksandar Vucic. It must be said that a torrential rain fell on Belgrade at the beginning of its meeting, organized in front of the Serbian Parliament under the slogan "Serbia of hope". Many people preferred to leave to take shelter in cafes and restaurants, reports our correspondent in Belgrade, Philippe Bertinchamps. The head of state, who wanted to make this rally a show of force, had not skimped on the means by requisitioning buses in the four corners of the country, so much so that all the main arteries of the capital were blocked and it was necessary to move there on foot.

This rally-like rally was a response to the spontaneous citizen demonstrations that attract tens of thousands of people once a week. The last time Serbs marched so massively was in 2000, during the demonstrations that led to the fall of Belgrade strongman Slobodan Milosevic.

>> READ ALSO: "Our society is sick": since the double shooting in Serbia, the anger does not subside

These rallies of the right and left opposition began in the wake of two shootings that occurred in early May and that deeply shook the country. In the first, nine students and a guard were killed at a school in Belgrade by a 13-year-old schoolboy. Less than 48 hours later, a young man killed eight people in two villages near Belgrade.

On Saturday, the opposition, united under the banner "Serbia against violence", called on citizens to be heard once again. A new demonstration is planned at 18 p.m. to demand the revocation of the licenses of television channels that broadcast violent programs, the banning of pro-regime tabloids accused of inflaming tensions, but also the resignation of the Minister of the Interior and that of the head of the intelligence services.

(

And with AFP)

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Read on on the same topics:

• Serbia
• Aleksandar Vucic