Crowds gather in Belgrade to protest the protest rally of the Serbian president and government

Thousands of people arrived in Belgrade on Saturday, part of a massive rally seen as the culmination of months-long protests against Serbian populist President Aleksandar Vucic and his government.

A large number of flag-waving protesters gathered on high alert after meetings at several agreed protest sites in various parts of the capital. All public transportation has been cancelled.

Before the demonstration, Vucic repeatedly warned of alleged unrest plans while threatening arrests and severe sentences for any incidents.

On Saturday, whistle, drums and vuvuzelas sounds deafening. Some protesters carried banners with the words: “He’s done!” The crowd chanted “Pump” in the slogans adopted in the student-led protests over the past four months.

“I hope this will shake his authority and Vucic will realize that people are no longer celebrating him,” protester Milenko Kovacevic said.

The rally is expected to be the largest anti-government protest ever in the Balkans – after more than four months of anti-corruption protesters, posing the biggest challenge to Vucic’s mastery of power after 13 years of responsibility.

Students in protesting university led a national anti-corruption campaign that began with Concrete canopy collapsed at the railway station On November 1, 15 people were killed in northern Serbia. Many in Serbia blame the crash on government corruption, negligence and disrespect for building safety regulations.

On Friday night, thousands of people were welcomed to students who came to parade or ride a bicycle for a few days from Serbia to Belgrade.

Interior Minister Ivica Dacic told the state RTS broadcaster that 13 people were detained overnight. He said police detained six opposition activists, allegedly suspected of planning a coup and being thrilled.

By Saturday morning, people gathered in the city’s center in various parts of the city. Hours before the scheduled party began, the entire downtown area was filled with people.

Reflecting the tension, police said they arrested a man who crashed his car into protesters in the suburbs of Belgrade and injured three people. Hundreds of police officers are deployed in front of the President’s Palace inside and outside government buildings.

Belgrade authorities canceled all public transport, including city rail and bus links, apparently to prevent people from attending rally. The transport company said the cancellation was “for safety reasons.”

Several journalists from neighboring Croatia and Slovenia have turned back from the Serbian border, explaining that their presence at the rally “represents a security risk.”

Vucic rejected an early transitional government proposal that would prepare for early elections. Vucic supporters have intensified fear of conflict and have been camping at their headquarters in downtown Belgrade. These include Zoran Djindjic, the first Democratic Prime Minister of Serbia in 2003 and a former member of a terrible paramilitary force known for causing violence.

Private N1 TV broadcast footage of dozens of young men in baseball caps on Saturday and entered the non-toxic camp.

Vucic has always claimed that Western intelligence agencies are almost daily student-led protests with the goal of expelling him from power. He provided no evidence of the claim.

Students resonate among citizens who are disillusioned with politicians and lose faith in state institutions. While attracting a large crowd, other Serbian cities’ former student-led gatherings have been quiet.

Earlier this month At least three MPs were injured. One of them is that after the chaotic scene in the Serbian parliament, bombs and flames dropped during this period, further exacerbating political tensions.