Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset expressed concern on August 15 after a second night of violent protests in Serbia.

“I call for calm and respect for the right to peaceful assembly. The Serbian authorities must comply with Council of Europe standards. The rule of law and respect for human rights must prevail,” Berset wrote on the social network X.

Protests against Aleksandar Vucic’s regime are taking place across Serbia, with supporters of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SPP) also gathering in parallel.

Numerous incidents have occurred during these demonstrations, organized by students and citizens. The protests over the past three days were scheduled in response to clashes between supporters and opponents of the government in two cities in Vojvodina – Vrbas and Bačka Palanka – on August 12.

Anti-government protesters then reported that fireworks were thrown at them from the direction of the SPP premises. Police in Vrbas intervened to separate the two groups.

Anti-government protests in Serbia have been ongoing for over nine months, led by students. The main demand is for the authorities to be held accountable for the deaths of 16 people when a canopy collapsed at the Novi Sad train station on November 1. The authorities deny responsibility for the tragedy and refuse to call early elections, one of the key demands of the protests. | BGNES