CNN –
Thousands gathered in Belgrade on Sunday for an anti-government protest to demand the annulment of last week's Serbian parliamentary election, which international observers described as “unfair”.
Protesters tried to gain entry to the city parliament in Belgrade by smashing the building's windows with flagpoles and stones, but were repelled by police with riot shields and tear gas, CNN's Serbian affiliate N1 reported.
According to N1, at least 35 people were arrested on Sunday, marking the sixth consecutive day of protests since the parliamentary and local elections.
The ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) won 47% of the vote after President Aleksandar Vučić called early elections, cementing his decades-long grip on power in the Balkan nation that is seeking European Union membership while maintaining close ties with Russia.
An international monitoring mission said the elections were held under “unfair conditions,” citing media bias, Vucic’s undue influence and “intimidation and pressure on voters, including cases of vote buying.”
Members of the center-left Serbia Against Violence coalition – a nascent opposition movement formed after months of anti-government protests this summer – attended Sunday's protest and accused Vucic of stealing the election.
“Vucic, you stole not one, but thousands and thousands of votes,” Marinika Tepic, who has been on hunger strike since the elections, said at the protest. She called for the election to be annulled.
Srdjan Milivojevic, also a member of the opposition coalition, called Vucic a “thief like the world has never seen before.” He was seen trying to open the door to City Hall but was unable to enter.
“Vucic, go away,” the crowd outside the building shouted.
In response to the protests, Vucic, in an address to the nation on Sunday evening, urged Serbs not to worry “because there is no revolution.”
“They won’t be able to achieve anything with this, and let’s try not to hurt any of the random protesters by responding gently and peacefully,” Vucic said, according to Radio Television of Serbia.
Marko Djurica/Portal
Supporters of the “Serbia Against Violence” coalition protest in Belgrade on December 24, 2023.
The protests come as Vucic's government faces growing international pressure to investigate reports of electoral irregularities during last week's vote.
The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said election day was “marked by numerous procedural deficiencies.” The Foreign Office said the results were “unacceptable for a country with EU candidate status”.
The CRTA Election Observation Mission, an independent organization based in Belgrade, reported that “voter migration” – where people were transported “from other regions of Serbia and from abroad” to vote in certain municipalities – “may have occurred on a large scale could have been used.” could have an influence on the results of the local elections.”
Andreas Schieder, an Austrian member of the European Parliament, said: “The news about buses of non-residents coming to Belgrade to vote is shocking. “Vote theft, bribery and corruption must not be allowed in a democratic world.”
Student groups in Belgrade announced they will stage a six-hour traffic blockade in two parts of the city on Monday as they continue to call for the elections to be annulled.