Serbia’s police said Friday they have detained scores of demonstrators who took part in anti-government protests throughout the country this week. The arrests came amid reports of police brutality and excessive use of force during the riots.
The three days of clashes between the police and loyalists of autocratic President Aleksandar Vucic on one side and the anti-government protesters on the other left dozens injured or detained.
The unrest in the capital, Belgrade, and throughout Serbia this week marked a serious escalation of more than nine months of largely peaceful demonstrations led by Serbia’s university students that have shaken Vucic’s firm grip on power in the Balkan country.
Another protest, under the slogan “Let’s show them we are not a punching bag,” is scheduled for Friday evening.
The protests that have rattled Vucic first started in November after a renovated train station canopy collapsed in Serbia’s north, killing 16 people. Many in Serbia blame the tragedy on alleged corruption-fueled negligence in state infrastructure projects.
Several social media posts from this week show baton-wielding riot police beating people to the ground and then kicking them with their boots before they were handcuffed. The apparent targets were often women and young people.
Serbia’s Interior Minister Ivica Dacic denied Friday that police used excessive force, blaming the demonstrators for allegedly attacking the officers, who were protecting themselves with riot shields.
“The police were massively and brutally attacked without any provocation. There were violent attempts to breach the cordons,” Dacic said. “Last night, 75 police officers were injured, and several vehicles were damaged. Those who spread lies about police brutality should comment on this fact.”
Opposition leaders called for Dacic to be removed from office.
“They are beating up people on the streets,” said opposition leader Dragan Djilas. “They also beat up politicians, literally anyone who opposes Aleksandar Vucic, with the clear goal of inflicting serious bodily harm on them.”
Another social media video purported to show several young detainees kneeling with their faces to the wall as police officers stood to attention behind them. Some of the apparent detainees had bloodstains on their backs.
The EU’s Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos earlier this week said the reports of violence at the protests were “deeply concerning.”
Serbia is formally seeking EU membership, but Vucic has maintained strong ties with Russia and China. The Serbian president has faced accusations of stifling democratic freedoms while allowing organized crime and corruption to flourish. He has denied this.
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