Riot police in Belgrade have fired tear gas at anti-government protesters attempting to enter the city’s council building.
Key points:
- Anti-government protesters attempted to break into Belgrade’s city council building
- The demonstration called for recent election results to be annulled after accusations it was fixed
- Thirty-five people have been arrested and the government says more will follow
Hundreds of opposition supporters turned out to protest what they believe are widespread irregularities during a general election last weekend.
An observation mission consisting of representatives from international rights watchdogs reported multiple irregularities, included cases of bought votes and the stuffing of ballot boxes.
Serbia’s populist President Aleksandar Vučić said the allegations were an attempt orchestrated from abroad to overthrow the nation’s government.
He said more than 35 people had been arrested and more detentions would follow.
Witnesses told Reuters police fired pepper spray after a crowd tried to break into the Belgrade town hall, where the local election commission is based.
Shielded riot police first barricaded themselves inside the government building, firing tear gas and pepper spray as hundreds of opposition protesters broke windows at the entrance.
Later, the police pushed the crowd from the downtown area and made several arrests.
Some threw stones at windows, breaking glass.
“Vučić thief,” protesters chanted.
“This was an attempted violent takeover of the state institutions of the Republic of Serbia,” Mr Vučić told the pro-government Pink TV.
In a statement, the interior ministry called on protesters to “refrain from breaking into the town hall.”
“By reacting calmly we are trying not to hurt protesters,” Mr Vučić said in his address in early evening.
The country’s populist authorities have denied rigging the vote and described the election to fill parliament and local offices as fair.
Mr Vučić said on Sunday that claims of irregularities in the vote were blatant “lies” promoted by the political opposition.
The centre-left opposition alliance Serbia Against Violence came second in the election with 23.56 per cent of the vote, and the Socialist Party of Serbia third with 6.56 per cent.
Nebojša Zelenović, one of the leaders of Serbia Against Violence, said police officers swarmed all of downtown Belgrade, including the roofs of buildings.
The area is home to the national parliament and the presidential headquarters along with the city government.
There were no immediate reports of injuries.
AP/Reuters