Riot Police Separate Pro- and Anti‑Vučić Crowds in Belgrade as Tensions Surge After Novi Sad Rally

Riot Police Separate Supporters and Opponents in Central Belgrade

Hundreds of riot police stood between supporters and opponents of President Aleksandar Vučić in central Belgrade on Sunday as political tensions escalated following a year of persistent anti-government demonstrations.

Several thousand people faced off across police cordons, with officers in full riot gear forming multiple rows between the shouting crowds. Both sides hurled bottles, lit flares and set off stun grenades during periods of confrontation.

Background: Novi Sad Rally and a Year of Protests

The surge in tensions followed a massive rally on Saturday in Novi Sad, where tens of thousands gathered to mark the first anniversary of a train station collapse that killed 16 people. That disaster sparked a youth-led movement demanding political change and has since evolved into sustained pressure on Vučić’s administration.

Many protesters accuse widespread corruption and nepotism during renovation work on the Novi Sad station of producing lax safety standards that led to the collapse of a concrete canopy onto people below; families and activists are calling for accountability.

Hunger Strike, Demands and the Loyalists' Camp

In Belgrade, anti-government demonstrators rallied in solidarity with Dijana Hrka, mother of one of the Novi Sad victims, who announced she would begin a hunger strike near a tent encampment outside the parliament. The encampment, occupied by Vučić’s supporters since March and colloquially known as "Caciland," fills a park and a street between the president’s office and the legislature.

Dijana Hrka said she is launching a hunger strike to press for accountability for her son and the other victims, the release of detained protesters and the calling of early parliamentary elections.

President Vučić and the police accused anti-government demonstrators of attacking the pro-government camp, which Vučić described as a “symbol of freedom.” Protesters counter that many violent incidents originated from within the camp.

Security Measures and Political Fallout

Police have guarded the camp and restricted access to parts of the area for local residents. A shooting incident there last month heightened fears of wider violence. Authorities have stepped up their response to the protests over recent months, detaining hundreds and breaking up demonstrations.

Pro-government media and officials have described the university student protesters as "terrorists," accusing them of inciting violence, while student leaders and youth activists insist their demands are for transparency, rule of law and early elections to end what they call increasingly authoritarian rule after more than a decade under Vučić.

Demonstrations continued into Sunday evening, with additional gatherings in Novi Sad and several smaller towns in support of Hrka and broader calls for accountability and political change.