The Japan Times - 'No going back': Serbia protests heap pressure on government

Between 100,000 and 300,000 people are estimated to have taken part on Saturday, in the biggest turn-out yet since a deadly roof collapse at a railway station last year sparked a national protest movement.

Fears of violence and clashes with counter-protesters failed to materialise, despite days of pro-government rhetoric, including that the students were plotting a "coup".

But there was controversy over claims the authorities targeted protesters with an unknown auditory crowd-control device that briefly caused panic and prompted calls for an investigation.

Social media footage showed a street crowd part immediately for unknown reasons, prompting claims, denied by the government, that they were targeted with a sonic weapon or sound cannon.

As Belgrade cleaned up discarded tents and vandalised tractors on Monday and the protesters mulled their next move, political analysts said a line had been crossed.

"The massive turnout confirms that dissatisfaction is immense and that there is no going back to the old ways," Maja Kovacevic, the dean of Belgrade's Faculty of Political Science, told AFP.

"Saturday's protest marked the beginning of the end for the regime and represents a major victory for the student movement and the citizens," added political analyst Srdjan Cvijic of the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy.

"Despite attempts to deter people from coming to Belgrade through various threats, we witnessed the largest gathering in Serbia's history. Fear has changed sides."

- Vucic defiant -

The protest movement formed after 15 people were killed in a railway station roof collapse in the city of Novi Sad in November following massive government-backed renovations on the facility.

The disaster unleashed long-building rage over alleged corruption and lax oversight in construction projects, prompting the resignation of several high-ranking officials, including the prime minister Milos Vucevic.

President Aleksandar Vucic, however, has refused to back down.

Government-backed media outlets broadcast inflammatory accusations in the days leading up to Saturday's protests, claiming a "coup" attempt was being planned.

Vucic himself accused the demonstrators of organising "large-scale violence" and remained defiant on Monday.

He wrote on social media that he would not give into "Maidan" like pressure, referring to the 2014 mass protests in Ukraine that overthrew the country's pro-Kremlin leader Viktor Yanukovych.

"Serbia will prevail!" Vucic wrote on Instagram.

- Investigations -

Serbia's police, defence ministries, the security agency and the government have all firmly denied using a sound cannon, which emits deafening bursts of ear-piercing noise and is designed to control unruly crowds.

But students want a swift investigation and petitions have circulated demanding an official probe by the United Nations.

"With every evil deed, you spread and further reinforce the front against yourself," read one post published by a major student group on X.

A separate investigation is currently under way in Serbia into allegations of corruption tied to the renovation project.

More than a dozen indictments have been filed, including one against former construction minister Goran Vesic.

The students have yet to announce their next move after months of criss-crossing the country holding protests in all of Serbia's major cities but indicated there would be no let-up.

"The smarter side doesn't back down, the smarter side organises," a leading student group wrote in a post on social media after Saturday's demonstration.

T.Maeda--JT