Trending Now - Massive Anti-government Protests Erupt in Belgrade, Clashing With Police

WHO:

CBS News - Tens of thousands of protesters, including university students, opposed President Aleksandar Vucic.

Al Jazeera - Protester Maja Milas Markovic stated, "students managed to gather us here with their youth and wonderful energy; I really believe that we have [the] right to live normally."

WHAT:

CBS News - Clashes erupted between protesters and riot police after a large anti-government rally in Belgrade.

CBS News - Protesters threw flares, rocks, and bottles at police, who responded with pepper spray.

Al Jazeera - The student-led movement is pushing for early elections and accountability for the November 2024 Novi Sad rail station disaster that killed 16 people.

Al Jazeera - Serbia's state railway company canceled all trains to and from Belgrade to limit attendance at the protests.

Al Jazeera - Police fired teargas and stun grenades to disperse protesters.

WHERE:

CBS News - The protests took place in Belgrade, Serbia, specifically in a central square.

Al Jazeera - The venue for the protests was Belgrade’s Slavija Square.

WHEN:

Al Jazeera - President Vucic indicated that early elections could be held between September and November 2026.

CBS News - The anti-government rally occurred on a Saturday.

WHY:

CBS News - The protests were sparked by a nationwide wave of anti-corruption demonstrations following the Novi Sad rail station disaster.

Al Jazeera - Protesters are demanding a transparent investigation into the rail disaster and accountability from the government.

HOW:

CBS News - Protesters rolled trash canisters into the streets as a form of resistance against police.

Al Jazeera - Columns of cars drove into Belgrade from other Serbian towns to join the protests.

(UPDATED May 23, 2026 23:14 UTC)

Tens of thousands of protesters, including university students, took to the streets of Belgrade, Serbia, opposing President Aleksandar Vucic and demanding early elections and accountability for the tragic Novi Sad rail station disaster. Clashes erupted as protesters threw flares, rocks, and bottles at police, who responded with pepper spray, teargas, and stun grenades, while the state railway company canceled all trains to limit attendance at the protests. President Vucic has indicated that early elections could be held between September and November 2026, as the student-led movement continues to push for a transparent investigation into the disaster that claimed 16 lives.