At least three Serbian lawmakers were injured today as chaos erupted in the country’s parliament, where opposition members threw smoke bombs and flares during the opening day of the spring session. The disruption was part of ongoing anti-corruption protests sparked by the tragic roof collapse at a Novi Sad train station in November, which killed 15 people.
Footage shared online captured opposition MPs holding colorful flares and throwing suspected tear gas during the session, which was set to vote on a law increasing funding for university education. The opposition insisted that the session should first formalize the resignation of Prime Minister Milos Vucevic and his government, a demand tied to their anti-corruption movement.
Serbia has been rocked by months of student-led protests demanding greater accountability for the station collapse and broader reforms. Vucevic resigned in January, but today’s session was the first since his departure.
In response to the protest, parliamentary speaker Ana Brnabic condemned the opposition’s tactics, calling the protest a failure and accusing them of undermining the country’s stability. She questioned whether the opposition truly supported students’ demands, as members of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party were pelted with eggs and water.
The protests, while focused on the station collapse, also include demands for reduced university tuition fees—a key issue raised by student demonstrators. Outside the parliament, student protesters held a moment of silence for the victims of the Novi Sad accident and organized a rally in support of their ongoing demands.
As the political turmoil intensifies, calls for another mass rally in Belgrade on March 15th signal that the protests are far from over.
Sources: Serbian News Agencies, Reuters
Serbia Parliament Building on Wikimedia by Andrija12345678 CC-BY-SA-4.0
