Over a hundred thousand people parade in Belgrade against corruption

At least 107,000 people demonstrate against corruption on Saturday March 15 in Belgrade, according to figures from the Ministry of the Interior, which specifies in a press release not having known any “Major incident”. The rally began in the early afternoon for a demonstration that promises to be historic after months of dispute led by Serbian students. For its part, power has gathered its supporters – including former ultra -nationalist paramilitary.

At 4 p.m., official hour at the start of the demonstration, a dense crowd was already gathered in a fine rain over more than two kilometers in the city center, with tens of thousands of people at least, sporting flags and badges going from the nationalist right to the far left, passing through environmentalists.

“Pumpaj!” Pumpaj! »» (“Pump! Pump!”), They all sing, singing the slogan of the movement, intended to show that their energy will not weaken. Many wear a pin’s with a bloody hand, a symbol of the movement that has adopted as a watchword “Corruption kills”.

At the end of the afternoon, a slight tension was palpable, some angry demonstrators who took the police at stake by trying to approach with smoke bombs. But other demonstrators intervened to calm the situation. The Ministry of the Interior launched a “Call to all participants to preserve peace (…) in a spirit of citizen responsibility and respecting laws ”.

Groups of bikers, veterans and the student service, which has since started the security of the movement, were arranged from midday in the city center to avoid overflows, notably blocking access to Parliament and the presidency, before which support from government are.

Protected windows

Dozens of farmers behind the wheel of their tractors also arrived in support of students. Other tractors, brought by government supporters, have been installed near the presidency since Friday morning. The windows of official buildings were protected on Saturday morning, while ride -on police and gendarmerie vehicles were visible in several places. Friday evening, there were already 31,000, according to the Interior Ministry, to welcome in a festive atmosphere the demonstrators who came on foot, by bike or by tractor from all over Serbia.

The demonstrations follow one another in the country since the accident at Novi Sad station, on 1^er November 2024, which left fifteen dead, when the concrete awning of the building just renovated. The anger exploded, the demonstrators seeing in this accident the proof of corruption which, according to them, taints institutions and public works. Weekly weekdays, the movement has become one of the most important in Recent History in Serbia, with daily demonstrations.

These demonstrations provoked at the end of January the resignation of the Prime Minister, Milos Vucevic, who was mayor of Novi Sad from 2012 to 2022. It was under his mandate as a councilor that the renovation of the station had started, completed just a few months before the accident.

Call to demonstrate “in calm”

But the rallies have tense themselves since the government accused the protesters of being paid by foreign agencies, of preparing violent actions, even a revolution, especially during the mobilization of Saturday in the capital.

Dozens of tents appeared in front of the presidency building: a camp camp presented as students demanding to return to class. But known ultra -nationalist activists have been seen between tents.

The situation reacted to the United Nations (UN), which called on the Serbian authorities not to be “Undefer unduly” in the demonstration and “Respect the full exercise of rights to the freedom of peaceful meeting and freedom of expression”.

“We are an extremely democratic country”replied on Friday evening, during a speech, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. “” We will do everything we can to secure the gathering ”he said, while adding immediately: “To be clear, I am the president of this country, and I will not let the street dictate the rules. »»

In a statement released on social networks, students called to demonstrate “Quiet and responsible for”. “The objective of this movement is not the foray into institutions or to attack those who do not think like us (…). This movement should not be used badly ”they wrote. The demonstration must start at 4 p.m. in front of the Parliament and disperse at 9 p.m.

“Deep dissatisfaction”

“We have already seen for a few days that the diet is trying to raise the tensionsAnalysis with the agency France-Presse Srdjan Cvijic, of the Belgrade Center for Security Policy. What everyone wonders,, It is if the government will try to create situations of violence and then have an excuse to decree the state of emergency. ” ” So farcontinues the researcher, We have seen a movement that is not at all violent (…). I think the demonstrators will keep their calm. »»

“I believe that March 15 will demonstrate the deep dissatisfaction of students and citizens”advance Maja Kovacevic, president of the Faculty of Political Science in Belgrade. “In this regard, I think it will be an important date, but I do not think we should suggest that it will be a kind of turning point in the movement, or that there will be a scenario of type” October 6 “later”continues the professor, in an allusion to October 6, 2000, the day after a demonstration which precipitated the fall of President Slobodan Milosevic.

At the time, “The social, economic and international situation was very different”abounds Mr. Cvijic, citing the strong international support for demonstrators of the time. However, he believes “That one can imagine a situation where it would mark the beginning of the end” for the current power.