A colossal gathering amassed at the heart of Belgrade on Sunday, rallying against the government and demanding the annulment of recent parliamentary and local elections flagged by international observers as flawed.
As per preliminary figures released by the state election commission, the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) apparently clinched 46.72% of the vote in the snap parliamentary elections held the prior weekend.
Criticisms surfaced from international monitoring groups citing biases favoring the SNS, citing media influence and undue influence by President Aleksandar Vucic, despite Vucic’s claims of fair elections.
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Tensions flared when some demonstrators sought entry into the Belgrade town hall, housing the local election commission. Pepper spray was employed by police, and eyewitnesses reported protesters breaking windows and chanting anti-Vucic slogans.
Efforts to restore calm were challenged as confrontations persisted, leading to the dispersal of the crowd by anti-riot police from the town hall.
The center-left opposition coalition Serbia Against Violence secured the second position with 23.56% of the vote, followed by the Socialist Party of Serbia with 6.56%.
Within the Serbia Against Violence coalition, members made attempts to access the town hall amid fervent rallying cries. Concurrently, Marinika Tepic, a coalition member, commenced a hunger strike post-elections, advocating for annulment.
