The man who rammed his car into the participants of an anti-government protest in Belgrade on Thursday, injuring a 90-year-old senior, was detained by the police on suspicion of attempted murder. Referring to the Serbian authorities, AFP reported about it, writes TASR.
- Police in Belgrade arrested the driver on suspicion of attempted murder.
- After the fight with the demonstrators, the driver reversed the car and hit the senior citizen.
- Anti-government protests in Serbia broke out after the fall of the station superstructure in Novi Sad.
- The European Union warned Serbia against the possible suspension of funds from the so-called Growth plan in the amount of approximately 1.5 billion euros.
The incident was preceded by an argument with demonstrators
Videos circulating online show that the driver first got into a scuffle with young protesters who were blocking a busy intersection in the city center. He then started reversing his car, knocking the old man to the ground.
The incident is the latest in a series of similar incidents where vehicles rammed into anti-government demonstrations that began in November 2024 in response to the collapse of a superstructure above the entrance to the train station in the city of Nový Sad. Many people in Serbia attribute the collapse of the new construction in Novi Sad to corruption and negligence in large state infrastructure projects.
Frequent similar incidents
In Belgrade, the injured senior participated in a 16-minute silent memorial service for the 16 victims of the Novi Sad tragedy, which is held every day in many cities in Serbia. Doctors announced that the injured man is in a stable condition in the hospital.
AFP reminded that similar incidents ended with serious injuries in the past – for example, in January 2025, when a car rammed into students blocking an intersection in the center of Belgrade. In the same month, a vehicle also hit a group of students who were in charge of surveillance during a protest march in the suburbs of Belgrade. In this incident, a student was seriously injured, who was thrown onto the hood of the car and then onto the road. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučič granted a pardon to the woman accused in this case of attempted murder, thereby preventing her trial.
Anti-government protests in Serbia
Meanwhile, the student movement in Serbia has grown and is demanding that Vucic call early elections. Vučič said that early parliamentary elections could be held before the end of the year. In due time, the parliamentary and presidential elections in Serbia would be next year.
The AP agency added that as part of the coercive actions, the students are also planning a large gathering in Belgrade on May 23.
Serbia is formally seeking to join the European Union, but Vučić maintains close relations with Russia and China. In the meantime, the European Union has warned Serbia that it may suspend the drawing of funds from the so-called Growth plan in the amount of approximately 1.5 billion euros. The reason is the worrying decline of democratic standards in Serbia, questionable reforms of its judiciary and non-compliance with reforms on the way to the EU.
