BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) 鈥 Serbian police said they detained 79 university students and other protesters as they broke up street blockades in several cities that are part of persistent dissent against President Aleksandar Vucic鈥檚 populist government.
Officers in riot gear intervened late Wednesday and early Thursday in the capital, Belgrade, the northern city of Novi Sad and the southern cities of Nis and Novi Pazar. Authorities denied reports of police brutality and excessive force against demonstrators.
University students behind the protests said police charged and injured scores of peaceful demonstrators. Witnesses told local media that riot police beat up protesters with batons and shields and that four students were hospitalized, including one with a broken clavicle.
Four officers were injured and a police vehicle was damaged, the Interior Ministry said in their statement, noting officers 鈥渁cted in accordance with the law" while responding to the unrest Wednesday and early Thursday.
The European Union mission in Serbia and the United Nations Human Rights Office said they were monitoring the situation closely and urged de-escalation.
鈥淲e strongly condemn all acts of hate and violence,鈥 the EU in Serbia said on X. 鈥淭he rights of peaceful demonstration, freedom of assembly and freedom of expression are to be upheld.鈥
The statement added that 鈥減olice action must be proportionate and respect fundamental rights.鈥
The U.N. Human Rights Office also on X urged authorities to 鈥渆xercise restraint & to respect freedom of expression & peaceful assembly.鈥
Tensions in the Balkan country have soared since a rally Saturday demanding early parliamentary elections. The gathering by tens of thousands of people in Belgrade ended with .
Vucic has refused to schedule a snap vote despite more than eight months of persistent demonstrations. The after a renovated rail station canopy collapsed in Novi Sad, killing 16 people and triggering allegations of in state infrastructure projects.
Parliamentary and presidential elections are due in 2027. While rejecting the election demand, Vucic has stepped up government pressure that he describes as 鈥渢error鈥 and attempts to bring down the state.
On Thursday, Vucic pardoned four activists of his ruling Serbian Progressive Party who were accused of beating up a female student during protests in January in Novi Sad and breaking her jaw. The incident at the time prompted the resignation of then
Critics say since coming to power over a decade ago, stifling democratic freedoms while allowing corruption and organized crime to flourish, which he has denied.
Serbia is formally seeking entry to the , but Vucic鈥檚 government has nourished relations with .
