Protesters blocked a bridge and streets in central Belgrade, partially halting public transport. Previously, protesters had blocked traffic 87 times in various Serbian cities, leading to the detention of several dozen people.
Street protests have resumed in Serbia. On Wednesday evening, demonstrators blocked a bridge and streets in central Belgrade. Students and opposition supporters held a rally that developed into a demonstration in the Serbian capital.
Public transport in the city is partially halted, with trams and trolleybuses facing difficulties navigating the improvised roadblocks. The Serbian prosecutor`s office previously stated that blocking roads is illegal and authorized police to take independent action based on the situation, including detaining participants.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, on Tuesday, protesters conducted 117 unauthorized actions and blocked traffic 87 times across various Serbian cities, leading to the detention of several dozen people. Viktoria Martynova, a journalist and author of the Telegram channel `News from Serbia,` discussed the reasons behind the protests:
Journalist, author of the Telegram channel `News from Serbia`
The protesters` ultimatum included two main demands: the scheduling of urgent parliamentary elections and the disbandment of `Caciland,` a pro-government tent camp situated opposite the National Assembly building. This camp was allegedly set up by «Students who want to study,» though it reportedly includes non-students as well. As neither demand was met, on the evening of June 28, student organizers effectively gave the `green light` to citizens to take matters into their own hands. This led to the first detentions that day, which significantly angered citizens already participating in protests, including the largest recent demonstration on March 15. Consequently, spontaneous traffic blockades at intersections have been occurring across Serbia since the evening of June 29.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has asserted that the `container revolution` will not succeed in the country. He uses this term to refer to the protests where students have recently used garbage bins to barricade highways. According to Vučić, the only effect of these actions is disrupting the lives and free movement of residents in major cities.
