America News Agency

Tensions are rising as the president's supporters begin camping in the park in front of the presidential palace. Vučić warned earlier this week that security forces would use force against people during the rally scheduled for Saturday.

Having dominated Serbian politics since becoming prime minister in 2014 and president in 2017, Vučić stated that the protesters would never force him to resign. "If you want to replace me, you will have to kill me," he said.

Authorities have faced almost daily protests since the collapse of a train station roof in Novi Sad, Serbia’s second-largest city, which killed 14 people. Many believe the disaster at the station, which Vučić inaugurated in 2022 after renovations, was linked to widespread corruption.

Protesters are demanding transparent institutions based on the rule of law, as well as accountability for the Novi Sad tragedy. More than a dozen people have been charged in connection with the deadly roof collapse. At the time of the renovation, Milos Vučević, who later became prime minister, was the mayor of Novi Sad, while the current mayor resigned in January.

Foreign observers are increasingly concerned about violence against protesters, including incidents where cars hit demonstrators and anti-corruption protesters were hospitalized. A group of cross-party members of the European Parliament wrote to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen this week, stating: "Serbia's response to these protests will be a crucial test of its commitment to EU standards."

Serbia has been a candidate for EU membership since 2012, but under Vučić's leadership and his pro-Russian stance on the war in Ukraine, progress has stalled.