Serbia's Political Divide Deepens as Pro-Vucic Rally Counters Student Protests

Thousands gather in Belgrade to support President Aleksandar Vucic, while student-led anti-corruption protests persist following a fatal infrastructure collapse.

• President Aleksandar Vucic's supporters, including Serbs from Kosovo and Bosnia, convened in Belgrade for a large pro-government rally on Saturday.
• The rally comes in response to months of student-led anti-corruption protests sparked by a rail station canopy collapse that killed 16 people in November 2024.
• Authorities have intensified security in Belgrade, deploying plainclothes police and using tractors as barricades to secure the rally site.
• Vucic has escalated his crackdown on dissent, threatening legal action against students, professors, journalists, and state prosecutors critical of his government.
• The president and his allies claim Western intelligence is behind the protests, labeling them a 'color revolution,' though no evidence has been provided.

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