site.bta204 Protests, Blockades Held in Serbia in One Day, Interior Ministry Reports

A total of 204 acts of civil disobedience took place across Serbia in a single day, with 68 traffic blockades occurring in the capital Belgrade alone on Tuesday, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported, as cited by local media.

Officers from the Interior Ministry conducted identity checks on 976 people on Tuesday night. Seventy-two individuals were taken to police stations, and eight of them were detained on charges of violating the Criminal Code, the ministry added.

Most of the blockades in Serbia and Belgrade have now been cleared, and all roads are passable except for the blockade in the city of Valjevo. Sporadic incidents have been reported in some areas, with the police acting in accordance with the law, the Interior Ministry said.

The Academic Crisis Centre for the Protection of Arrested Students, established two days ago by professors and legal experts, called for an immediate end to what it described as "repression" against young people. The centre reported that in the past 48 hours, 20 students have been unjustly detained or mistreated, with one requiring surgery due to injuries sustained during his arrest.

On July 1, students issued an appeal for a suspension of work and academic activities until their demands are met. These include calling early parliamentary elections, removing the counter-protesters’ tent camp from Pioneer Park, and releasing all detained students.

On Vidovdan, June 28, a large-scale protest took place in the Serbian capital, where demonstrators issued an ultimatum to the government to ask the president to sign a decree calling early parliamentary elections.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic refused to call elections, prompting protesters to declare the government illegitimate. This was followed by hours-long clashes with police and continued acts of civil disobedience, which are still ongoing.