Serbia Protests Continue As Aleksandar Vučić Pledges Resignation Amid Police Charges

Protests against Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic continued as thousands marched in Belgrade and Novi Sad with barricades in the streets, with RaiNews describing police charges against civilians in the street.

RaiNews said the night of protests came after Vucic told the public that "arresteremo chi attacca la polizia, si tratta di terroristi, provocatori" and it reported "Una cinquantina i poliziati feriti, una ventina i manifestanti".

Al Jazeera

The demonstrations have been linked to the collapse of a concrete canopy at a railway station in Novi Sad at the end of 2024, which RaiNews said killed 15 people including a child, and it said an investigation for corruption and negligence is underway.

The protests also continued in Kraljevo after Vucic’s pledge to resign, with Al Jazeera saying thousands gathered there dismissing the resignation pledge and arguing he would keep control by shifting into the prime minister’s role.

Al Jazeera reported the protesters gathered in Serbia’s Kraljevo after Vucic’s pledge to resign and hold early elections, while RaiNews tied the broader unrest to the Novi Sad disaster and ongoing student demands for his resignation.

Even after Vucic said he would resign within weeks and hold early presidential and parliamentary elections, Al Jazeera reported protesters in Kraljevo doubted the resignation would bring change.

Al Jazeera said demonstrators "do not believe he will give up power" after 12 years in office, and it reported they expected him to retain control by moving into the prime minister’s role while a close ally takes the presidency.

Al Jazeera

Ukrainian National News (UNN) said thousands gathered in Kraljevo despite Vucic’s statement about resignation and expected a new rally on Sunday, while it also said the Novi Sad tragedy had become a symbol of corruption for Serbs.

UNN also quoted a protest sentiment that "I cannot imagine that he will resign and hand over power to someone else" and it said analysts expected Vucic might try to run for prime minister to maintain political influence.

Taipei Times reported Vucic told supporters at a pro-government rally in Belgrade, "I will be president for only a couple more weeks, and then I will resign," while describing how protesters, opposition and rights groups linked the railway station disaster to broader mismanagement and corruption.

As protests continued after Vucic’s announcement, South China Morning Post reported that thousands descended on Kraljevo on Sunday, a day after he said he would step down within weeks to pave the way for early presidential and parliamentary elections.

The South China Morning Post quoted Marko Djokic, a 41-year-old IT expert, saying, "I cannot imagine that he will step down and leave power to someone else," as he returned to his home city for the protests.

The same article said the rallies were sparked by the collapse of a concrete awning at a railway station in Novi Sad in late 2024 that killed 16 people, and it described protesters braving a heatwave to gather in a central square in Kraljevo.

RaiNews said the protests had been ongoing since November, when the concrete canopy collapse in Novi Sad killed 15 people including a child, and it reported that students returned to protest for Vucic’s resignation and that of the government and the Serbian Progressive Party.

With the political timetable set by Vucic’s resignation pledge, Al Jazeera said protesters dismissed the idea that resignation would change anything, while South China Morning Post reported they kept up pressure in Kraljevo the day after the announcement.