Thousands take to streets in Belgrade for anti-government rally (VIDEO)

Massive crowds have gathered in downtown Belgrade for an anti-government protest, which some Western media outlets described as “probably the biggest” in Serbia’s history. President Alexandar Vucic said the protesters aimed to stage a “color revolution” in the Balkan nation.

The Serbian parliament announced on Friday that its building would be closed over the weekend to prevent any possible provocations during the protest on Saturday. The decision was made “exclusively for security reasons” to ensure that the demonstration, which is expected to be held in front of the National Assembly building, “takes place without any incidents,” according to the parliament’s statement.

Videos that surfaced on social media showed large crowds flooding the streets in central Belgrade, with demonstrators waving Serbian national flags and blowing whistles. Some protesters were chanting anti-government slogans.

The Serbian authorities have so far provided no data on the number of participants. Some media claimed that around 30,000 people joined the protest.

The demonstration has reportedly caused traffic disruptions across the Serbian capital. At one point, a car rammed through the crowd of protesters, injuring at least three people. A video of the incident that appeared on social media showed the vehicle driving away from the crowd with one person lying on its hood. The person then fell to the ground as the car accelerated.

The driver was subsequently arrested and those affected by the incident sustained only minor injuries, according to the authorities.

On the eve of the protest, Vucic warned that anyone causing disturbances during the rally would be arrested.

The protest follows months of student-led demonstrations against alleged corruption and government negligence in Serbia. The protests were ignited by the collapse of a concrete canopy at the Novi Sad railway station in November 2024, which resulted in 15 deaths.

Public outrage ensued, with demands for the release of all documents related to the incident and for those responsible to be held accountable.

Vucic said on Friday that the government had agreed to meet the protesters demands, as well as offered to hold snap elections and even a referendum, but the opposition was still not satisfied. “That was not their goal, … the goal was to [stage] a color revolution in Serbia,” he added.

The president previously accused foreign actors of fueling the unrest to destabilize the country by claiming that the opposition forces were collaborating with Western, Croatian, and Albanian intelligence agencies to overthrow the government.