Serbian president holds rally to counter student demos

BELGRADE

Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic declared the launch of a new political movement on April 12 as he rallied nationalist supporters in Belgrade to push back against months of protests against him.

Serbia has been gripped by a wave of protests since November, when 16 people died in the collapse of the newly renovated rail station in the city of Novi Sad, a tragedy widely blamed on corruption and poor oversight.

Hundreds of thousands have marched for months against corruption and mismanagement, culminating in the biggest protests in decades last month.

Vucic claims the student-led protests are threatening the Balkan nation's peace and stability, accusing the protesters of being paid by "foreign intelligence agencies."

Addressing the crowd late on April 12 evening, Vucic dismissed the protest movement as "an attack from overseas, because certain foreign powers cannot bear to see a free, independent and sovereign Serbia".

He announced the creation of his new political movement "to bring new energy" to the country.

"Each worker, each farmer is welcome; each person who earns an honest living, and fights for his children and his country, is welcome," he told the crowd.

At least 55,000 people attended the rally, the Public Assembly Archive, a group that monitors crowd sizes, said on X.

The figure was much lower than the group's estimate of between 275,000 and 325,000 people who took to the streets of Belgrade on March 15, in a student-led protest which was the biggest ever recorded in Serbia.

On April 12, Vucic said that his movement also aimed "to dislodge arrogant political officials who refuse to speak to the people".