BELGRADE (AFP) – Thousands gathered in front of a Belgrade police station on Monday evening in support of those arrested the previous day during protests against what they say was electoral fraud in Serbia’s recent parliamentary and local elections.
It marked the eighth consecutive day of protests, which unlike Sunday’s demonstrations were peaceful despite having started with roadblocks in the capital and later a gathering in front of the state electoral commission building.
“See you tomorrow at 6pm,” a deputy from the opposition “Serbia against violence” coalition Srdjan Milivojevic said late on Monday, signalling protesters would reconvene.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic had denounced violence in the capital the previous evening, when opposition demonstrators had tried to storm Belgrade city hall and clashed with police.
Vucic said there was evidence the violence had been planned in advance.
Moscow on Monday also accused the West of interfering, suggesting that foreign actors were trying to stir up the unrest.
Earlier on Monday, Vucic met the Russian ambassador in Belgrade Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko and briefed him on the Sunday’s incidents.
Vucic is walking a difficult line balancing between East and West, vowing to keep Serbia on a course for European Union membership while also remaining friendly with Russia and courting Beijing and Washington.
A few hundred demonstrators meanwhile had blocked the street in central Belgrade where the public administration and local self-government ministry is located.
Other roadblocks – some taking the form of street football and volleyball – quickly followed.
The protesters, mainly students organised under the “Borba” (Fight) movement, were supporting the opposition claims of fraud that started on December 18, a day after the elections.
They are calling for a revision of the voter roll, claiming that it was the source of the alleged electoral fraud.
But a statement from the ministry insisted the registry was “one of the most up-to-date records”.
