BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — An elderly man was injured on Thursday during an anti-government street blockade in Serbia ‘s capital Belgrade, reflecting the deep political tensions in the Balkan country following months of mass protests against populist President Aleksandar Vucic.
An angry driver first scuffled with youth-led protesters blocking a busy downtown crossroads before driving his car backward and hitting the man, according to organizers and witnesses cited by local media.
Police said the driver, born in 1985, was arrested and is facing charges of attempted murder. The injured man, born in 1936, was taken to an emergency clinic, the statement said.
Scattered daily traffic blockades have been held routinely in Serbia since a November 2024 train station tragedy in Novi Sad that killed 16 people. The concrete canopy crash triggered mass street protests and demands for accountability for the tragedy.
University students behind the nationwide movement have been demanding early parliamentary elections that they hope would oust Vucic’s government. They are planning a big rally in Belgrade on May 23.
