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A car has plowed through the crowd of protesters in the Serbian capital, injuring three, according to the authorities
Massive crowds have gathered in downtown Belgrade for an anti-government protest, which some Western media outlets described as “probably the biggest” in Serbia’s history. President Alexandar Vucic said the protesters aimed to stage a “color revolution” in the Balkan nation.
The Serbian parliament announced on Friday that its building would be closed over the weekend to prevent any possible provocations during the protest on Saturday. The decision was made “exclusively for security reasons” to ensure that the demonstration, which is expected to be held in front of the National Assembly building, “takes place without any incidents,” according to the parliament’s statement.
Videos that surfaced on social media showed large crowds flooding the streets in central Belgrade, with demonstrators waving Serbian national flags and blowing whistles. Some protesters were chanting anti-government slogans.
#BREAKING #Serbia JUST IN: Tens of thousands are now on the streets of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia.
This is likely to be the largest protest the city has seen in recent years.https://t.co/JQVti3BgMD pic.twitter.com/z0BN2g1e9R
— The National Independent (@NationalIndNews) March 15, 2025
The Serbian police put the number of participants of Saturday’s demonstration at 107,000. Earlier media reports had indicated that people had come to Belgrade from other parts of the country to take part in the protest. Law enforcement officials reported no major incidents or violations of the public order during the demonstration.
The protest has reportedly caused traffic disruptions across the Serbian capital. At one point, a car rammed through the crowd of protesters, injuring at least three people. A video of the incident that appeared on social media showed the vehicle driving away from the crowd with one person lying on its hood. The person then fell to the ground as the car accelerated.
In Belgrade, a car drove into a protester crowd, injuring three people. Traffic in the city is gridlocked as thousands block major intersections. The protest, planned to peak at 17:00 CET, has caused significant disruption. pic.twitter.com/5lScHBBZ5w
— Geopoliti𝕏 (@DalioTroy) March 15, 2025
The driver was subsequently arrested and those affected by the incident sustained only minor injuries, according to the authorities.
On the eve of the protest, Vucic warned that anyone causing disturbances during the rally would be arrested.
Serbian protesters are continuing to march towards Belgrade city centre where they are massing for a huge rally, chanting “Pump it!” and blowing whistles. Streets in the central area are packed with demonstrators, and traffic is at a halt. pic.twitter.com/pbp7vyah3L
— Balkan Insight (@BalkanInsight) March 15, 2025
The protest follows months of student-led demonstrations against alleged corruption and government negligence in Serbia. The protests were ignited by the collapse of a concrete canopy at the Novi Sad railway station in November 2024, which resulted in 15 deaths.
Public outrage ensued, with demands for the release of all documents related to the incident and for those responsible to be held accountable.
🇷🇸 HUGE crowd walking through Belgrade for today's protest. This is insane. https://t.co/6prKTWqsga pic.twitter.com/tUG6eeO7Ee
— DD Geopolitics (@DD_Geopolitics) March 15, 2025
Vucic said on Friday that the government had agreed to meet the protesters demands, as well as offered to hold snap elections and even a referendum, but the opposition was still not satisfied. “That was not their goal, … the goal was to [stage] a color revolution in Serbia,” he added.
READ MORE: WATCH protesters attack Belgrade city hall
The president previously accused foreign actors of fueling the unrest to destabilize the country by claiming that the opposition forces were collaborating with Western, Croatian, and Albanian intelligence agencies to overthrow the government.