Fighting and fire occur in Serbian parliament as opposition protests
Archive photo: The opposition caused a fight and a fire in the Serbian parliament (GettyImages)
On the afternoon of Tuesday, March 4, fighting broke out in the Serbian Parliament between lawmakers from the ruling and opposition factions. They threw smoke bombs and eggs at each other, resulting in injuries, RBC-Ukraine informs, citing local media.
According to media reports, opposition lawmakers ignited smoke bombs inside the chamber and unfurled a banner reading, "Serbia will rise when the regime falls." A fight then erupted between them and members of the ruling party. Three lawmakers sustained injuries.
Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabić stated that MP Jasmina Obradović, who was affected by an electroshock bomb, suffered a stroke. MPs Jasmina Karanac and Sonja Ilić, who is eight months pregnant, were also injured.
The conflict occurred amid mass protests and the adoption of an agenda with around 50 items, mostly related to amendments to the education law.
Resignations in Serbian government amid protests
Amid protests in Serbia triggered by the collapse of a station roof in Novi Sad, which claimed 15 lives, the ministers of trade, transport, and infrastructure, as well as Prime Minister Miloš Vučević, resigned.
Vučević explained this decision as an effort to "ease tensions" and announced that the mayor of Novi Sad would also leave his office. However, protesters, who accuse the government of corruption, have not stopped their demonstrations. President Aleksandar Vučić urged the opposition not to boycott potential parliamentary elections.
As previously reported, in November 2024, an anti-government rally began in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, following a railway station disaster that claimed lives.
Furthermore, on December 24, 2023, protests took place in the Serbian capital against election results.
