BELGRADE, Serbia, June 29, (AP): Dozens of anti-government protesters were detained during clashes with riot police in Serbia’s capital on Saturday during a massive rally against populist President Aleksandar Vucic demanding an early parliamentary election. The protest by tens of thousands of demonstrators was held after nearly eight months of persistent dissent led by Serbia's university students that have rattled Vucic's firm grip on power in the Balkan country.

The huge crowd chanted: "We want elections!” as they filled the capital’s central Slavija Square and several blocks around it, with many unable to reach the venue. Police handcuffed detained protesters, and an officer was seen injured on the ground during street battles in central Belgrade that lasted several hours. Six police officers and an unknown number of citizens were injured, police said.

"Serbia always wins in the end,” President Vucic said in an Instagram post. Vucic, a former extreme nationalist, has become increasingly authoritarian since coming to power more than a decade ago. Though he formally says he wants Serbia to join the European Union, critics say Vucic has stifled democratic freedoms as he strengthened ties with Russia and China.

As the protest formally ended, the demonstrators threw eggs, plastic bottles and other objects at riot police who were preventing the crowd from approaching a downtown park. At the park, hundreds of Vucic's loyalists have been camping for months to form a human shield in front of his headquarters in the capital. Serbia’s Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said participants in the protest attacked the police.

He said police used their powers to restore public order and "arrest all those who attacked the police.” Police later said dozens of "hooligans” were detained but did not provide the exact number. Some demonstrators wore scarfs and masks over their faces as they clashed with law enforcement, using garbage cans as protection against baton wielding police. Police used pepper spray before pushing protesters with their shields. Tensions were high before and during the gathering as riot police deployed around government buildings.

"Elections are a clear way out of the social crisis caused by the deeds of the government, which is undoubtedly against the interests of their own people,” said a student who didn't give her name while addressing the crowd from a stage. "Today, on June 28, 2025, we declare the current authorities illegitimate.” At the end of the official part of the rally, students told the crowd to "take freedom into your own hands.”