The political crisis and protests that have been rocking Serbia for months have turned into clashes between demonstrators and supporters of President Aleksandar Vučić's ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). Last night, there were new scenes of violence, AFP reported.

Protesters smashed the windows of the SNS building in Novi Sad. They threw eggs and paint at the facade of the party headquarters in the city. Last night, there were protests in about thirty cities. They were organized because of the clashes the night before, in which dozens of people were injured.

Most of the young men involved in the violence were wearing hoods, and the police did not intervene.

In Belgrade, protesters gathered in front of the government building and the general staff headquarters before approaching the SNS building, but a large police cordon to disperse the demonstrations kept them at a distance, the agency reported.

After last night's demonstrations, the two sides accused each other of wanting to start a civil war. Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said that more than 70 civilians, 27 police officers, and seven members of the elite military unit “Cobra,” which is responsible for protecting senior political leaders, were injured in the clashes. According to him, about fifty people were detained.

AFP reminds that demonstrations have been held regularly in this Balkan country since November 2024, when a canopy at the train station in Novi Sad collapsed, killing 16 people, and demonstrators quickly blamed the incident on corruption in the country.

The country's president, Aleksandar Vučić, is not officially the leader of the party, AFP notes, adding that Vučić accused the demonstrators of attacking SNS activists on Wednesday and promised severe punishment. Vučić also said he would prevent the protesters from bringing the country to civil war.

On the other hand, the students leading the protest movement claim the opposite, namely that the government tried to provoke a civil war the previous evening, and accuse the police of “protecting” SNS supporters who threw stones and used pyrotechnics against the demonstrators. All student demonstrations so far have been mostly peaceful, taking place across the country and gathering several thousand people.

Due to the pressure, there have been changes in the government, the prime minister has been replaced, and several former ministers have been arrested or charged. Since May, protesters have been calling for early elections, which President Vučić has refused. He claims that there is a foreign conspiracy to bring down the current government.

The agency reminds that a group of experts formed by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has called on the Serbian authorities to stop what they described as increased repression against activists. I BGNES