Belgrade (Serbia), August 17 (LaPresse) – Protesters clashed with police in western Serbia and the capital, Belgrade, as tensions rise following days of violent demonstrations. Wearing scarves over their faces and chanting slogans against President Aleksandar Vučić, a group of youths threw rockets at the Serbian Progressive Party headquarters in Valjevo, about 100 kilometers from Belgrade. They set fire to party offices before confronting riot police downtown. Police responded with tear gas and charged at protesters who threw bottles, stones, and rockets.
Similar clashes erupted Saturday night in Belgrade, where police used tear gas against demonstrators who had set trash bins on fire. The Valjevo protesters took to the streets to protest what they consider police brutality. There are no immediate reports on casualties in either Valjevo or Belgrade.
Serbia has been hit by a wave of protests since November, after the collapse of a railway station canopy caused the deaths of 16 people. Many blamed the tragedy on poor renovation, linked to widespread corruption in infrastructure projects.