Overview

• For five consecutive nights protesters have clashed with police and masked pro-government groups in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Niš and Valjevo, with firebombs thrown and party offices torched.
• Serbian interior ministry reports over 130 police officers wounded and more than 100 arrests as security forces deploy tear gas, stun grenades and crowd-control vehicles.
• Independent footage shows officers using batons against unarmed demonstrators, prompting EU officials to call for restraint even as the government denies any brutality.
• President Aleksandar Vučić has branded the protests “terrorist” acts and pledged to introduce tougher legal measures within days to restore order.
• The EU’s enlargement commissioner has voiced deep concern over violence and rights violations, while Russia has labeled the unrest as “violent riots” and backed the authorities.