BELGRADE, Serbia — Riot police in Serbia fired tear gas to prevent hundreds of opposition supporters from entering the capital’s city council building on Sunday in protest of what election observers said were widespread vote irregularities during a general election last weekend.
Serbia’s populist President Aleksandar Vucic said it was an attempt to overthrow the government orchestrated from abroad. He said more than 35 people were arrested and more detentions would follow.
“This was an attempted violent takeover of the state institutions of the Republic of Serbia,” Vucic told the pro-government Pink TV.
The country’s populist authorities have denied rigging the vote and described the election to fill parliament and local offices as fair. Vucic said Sunday that claims of irregularities in the vote were blatant “lies” promoted by the political opposition.
Vucic suggested the unrest was instigated from abroad but provided no evidence to support the claim. Addressing the nation on state media as the protest took place outside Belgrade city hall, he called the demonstrators “thugs” who would not succeed in destabilizing the state and said, “This is not a revolution.”
“They will not succeed,” Vucic said. “We are doing our best with our calm and mild reaction not to hurt demonstrators” who came to the event to protest peacefully. Shielded riot police first barricaded themselves inside the city government building, firing tear gas and pepper spray as hundreds of opposition protesters broke windows at the entrance. Later, the police pushed the crowd from the downtown area and made several arrests.
The protesters shouted “Open the door” and “Thieves,” as they pelted the building with eggs and stones. Some chanted “Vucic is Putin,” comparing the Serbian president with Russia’s leader.