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Serbia's Political Divide Deepens as Pro-Vucic Rally Counters Student Protests

Thousands gather in Belgrade to support President Aleksandar Vucic, while student-led anti-corruption protests persist following a fatal infrastructure collapse.

Supporters of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) attend a pro-government rally backing President Aleksandar Vucic’s policies and opposing months of student-led protests, in Belgrade, Serbia, April 12, 2025. REUTERS/Djordje Kojadinovic
Tractors are parked in front of the Serbian parliament building ahead of a big counter-opposition protest rally planned to be staged over the weekend in downtown Belgrade, Serbia, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
Temporary toilets are installed at street in front of main post office building ahead of a big counter-opposition protest rally planned to stage over the weekend in downtown Belgrade, Serbia, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
Tractors are parked in front of Serbian parliament building ahead of a big counter-opposition protest rally planned to stage over the weekend in downtown Belgrade, Serbia, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Overview

  • President Aleksandar Vucic's supporters, including Serbs from Kosovo and Bosnia, convened in Belgrade for a large pro-government rally on Saturday.
  • The rally comes in response to months of student-led anti-corruption protests sparked by a rail station canopy collapse that killed 16 people in November 2024.
  • Authorities have intensified security in Belgrade, deploying plainclothes police and using tractors as barricades to secure the rally site.
  • Vucic has escalated his crackdown on dissent, threatening legal action against students, professors, journalists, and state prosecutors critical of his government.
  • The president and his allies claim Western intelligence is behind the protests, labeling them a 'color revolution,' though no evidence has been provided.