Serbia is witnessing escalating turmoil as protests entered their fifth consecutive night, marked by the burning of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) offices, the party of President Aleksandar Vučić. The unrest erupted following a tragic railway station collapse in Novi Sad last November, which claimed 16 lives and exposed deep-rooted concerns about government corruption and negligence.
In the city of Valjevo, police responded with stun grenades and tear gas after masked individuals attacked the empty SNS offices. Similar clashes occurred in Belgrade and Novi Sad, where demonstrators demanding early elections faced riot police. Allegations of police brutality surfaced, though the interior ministry denied such claims.
🇷🇸🚨 BREAKING: Anti-government protesters in Serbia are setting fire to the ruling party’s offices.
Gunshots can be heard as pro-regime militias attack the demonstrators. pic.twitter.com/RpiVbu01sV
— Global Dissident (@GlobalDiss) August 13, 2025
Protesters have focused their anger on symbols of the ruling party, targeting SNS offices and coalition partner Serbian Radical Party headquarters, with several windows smashed. The demonstrations, initially peaceful and centered on anti-corruption demands, took a sharper turn after pro-government supporters staged counter-protests, intensifying tensions.
President Vučić condemned the violence on social media, labeling it as “an expression of total weakness” and vowing to punish those responsible, BBC reported. He dismissed calls for early elections as part of a foreign conspiracy aimed at destabilizing Serbia.
In a show of support, Russia’s Foreign Ministry backed Vučić, affirming that Serbian police acted lawfully to maintain public order and security.
The protests, which have drawn hundreds of thousands at their height, underscore growing frustration with Vučić’s 12-year rule and the urgent demand for political change in Serbia.
