The violent opposition protest in Belgrade ended late yesterday evening. For hours the demonstrators besieged the Town Hall, attempting to break in several times.
For the seventh consecutive day, "Serbia against violence", the main opposition group, had organized an anti-government demonstration to denounce the alleged fraud in the parliamentary and administrative elections of 17 December. But the rally, convened as usual in front of the headquarters of the electoral commission, quickly degenerated into a violent protest, with several thousand demonstrators heading towards the nearby Town Hall with the intention of attacking it.
The demonstrators threw eggs, plastic bottles, tomatoes and other objects, the police used tear gas in an attempt to disperse the groups of troublemakers.
At least 35 people were arrested, eight officers were injured, two seriously.
According to the outgoing mayor of Belgrade Aleksandar Sapic, what happened can be compared to the 2014 Majdan uprising in Kiev, which began with the anti-government protests of early 2014 in the central square of the Ukrainian capital.
(Unioneonline/ss)
