Tens of thousands protest in Belgrade, clashes with police

Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Belgrade on Saturday for a student-led anti-government rally that passed largely peacefully before groups of young demonstrators clashed with riot police. The mass protest in Slavija Square was the latest in a nationwide wave of anti-corruption demonstrations that began after a train station canopy collapse in the northern city of Novi Sad in November 2024 killed 16 people.

Protesters streamed into central Belgrade from multiple directions, many carrying banners and wearing T-shirts bearing the “Students win” slogan. The state railway company canceled all trains to and from Belgrade on Saturday, a move widely seen as an attempt to limit turnout from other towns. Police estimated the crowd at 34,300, while organizers said the number was significantly higher.

The rally was organized by university students who have led the anti-corruption movement for more than a year. The Novi Sad tragedy, which many blamed on corruption-fueled negligence during renovation work, forced the resignation of then Prime Minister Milos Vucevic in January 2025. On Saturday, student leaders reiterated demands for early parliamentary elections and the rule of...