Chaos broke out in the Serbian parliament on Tuesday, with opposition MPs introducing smoke bombs and tear gas to protest the government and support the display of students.
At least three MPs were injured and one was in critical condition after a stroke, further exacerbating political tensions in the interior Balkan countriesLocated at the intersection of southeast and central Europe.
Video from the conference hall showed legislators clashing first with later flares and smoke bombs. Serbian media said eggs and water bottles were also thrown. During the meeting, hundreds of opposition supporters gathered outside the parliamentary building.
Serbian opposition MPs radiated smoke grenades inside the Serbian parliament in Belgrade on March 4, 2025. (Serbian Parliamentary Pool/viveoplus/by Reuters Handout)
Serbia is shocked by anti-corruption protests after construction tragedy
The ugly scene stems from the deadly collapse of the canopy at the train station in November. The incident sparked massive protests as protesters demanded justice and responsibility for the tragedy.
Many people in Serbia believe it The fatal canopy collapse It is the result of government corruption and ignoring safety regulations. The top of the train station collapsed after a renovation led by two Chinese companies.
Protest leads to resignation Prime Minister of Serbia Milos Vucevic in January. The Prime Minister’s resignation made him the highest resignation official, but it did not quell the uprising, with mass protests still ongoing in Belgrade and across the country.
Parliament still has to confirm the Prime Minister’s resignation for effect.
In Tuesday’s legislative session, lawmakers plan to vote on a law that will increase funding for college education, a key need for student protesters.
Chaos broke out in the Serbian parliament on Tuesday, with opposition MPs introducing smoke bombs and tear gas to protest the government and support the display of students. (Serbian Parliamentary Pool/viveoplus/by Reuters Handout)
But the opposition said the majority of the ruling also plans to approve dozens of other decisions. They say it is illegal and lawmakers should first confirm the resignation of Vocevic and his government.
After the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) approved the agenda, some opposition politicians ran out of the seats and were in trouble with security personnel.
Others threw smoke bombs and tear gas, and inside the parliament, the black and pink smoke rose, which also witnessed fights and water throwing for decades since the introduction of multilateral democracy in 1990.
As the meeting continued, ruling coalition politicians debated as they opposed legislators whistle and horns.
Opposition delegates also held signs with the words “general strike” and “justice of being killed” while protesters outside the building stood silently in memory of 15 people killed by one person The roof of the railway station collapsed.
Parliament President Ana Brnabic accused opposing “terrorist gangs”. The Ruling Alliance said Western intelligence agencies are trying to undermine Serbia and overthrow the government by supporting the protests.
On January 30, students walked on the road in the northern city of Novi Sad to protest the 15 deaths killed in November at a railway station Canopy near the outskirts of Belgrade, Serbia. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
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The government tried to evade scrutiny by understateing the culprit of the government’s collapse in the station. At first, the government tried to ignore the protests and then began to use force and accused the protests of being infiltrated by foreign incitements.
Some observers complain Vucic Government The failure to take action and provide the public with a clear answer is Serbia’s core institutional corruption.
Meanwhile, protest leaders called for a major rally in Belgrade on March 15.
Chris Massaro of Fox News, Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to the report.
