More than one year on, no let up to anti-government protests in Serbia
Thousands of Serbians will gather again today for the latest anti-government protests, which have been held every Saturday since November 30, 2018.
The ‘One of Five Million’ movement has rallied weekly protests against the lack of media freedom, alleged abuses by the ruling party and corruption.
This week’s rally will follow on from the December 28 demonstrations, which saw protesters mount the public broadcaster Radio Television of Serbia and list government scandals, including Deputy Prime Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic lying about marijuana cultivation.
One of Five Million insists that it won’t stop the protests until parliament is disbanded and free and fair elections are held. The current government has refused to compromise; President Aleksandar Vucic mocked the demonstrations in August 2019, saying demands would not be met “even if five million of you come out”.
Parliamentary elections are scheduled for mid 2020. Despite the tenacity of the protests, polls indicate that the ruling Serbian Progressive Party is currently on track to gain the most votes.
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