PROTESTS IN SERBIA Demonstrators broke windows of the Assembly, police used tear gas

(Patria) - The 7th protest demanding the annulment of the elections held on December 17th began in Belgrade this evening.

Citizens gathered right in front of the entrance to the Belgrade Assembly building, while the doors on the other side are blocked by members of the Belgrade police in full riot gear.

Due to the pressure from the citizens outside and the police and security from inside, the glass on the entrance broke, but remained in the door frame. Some time later, the citizens' pressure increased, and the glass was broken with poles carrying flags.

Demonstrators also broke the glass on the side windows, and the police threw several tear gas canisters at the entrance itself. RTS reported that the tear gas was thrown by the demonstrators, and that the police officers threw the canisters back among the citizens.

MPs and leaders of the "Serbia Against Violence" list, Miroslav Aleksić and Srđan Milivojević, tried to enter the city assembly building at the beginning of the protest, but the doors were locked.

Staklo vrata polomljeno, sada je samo pitanje trenutka kada će opozicija ući u skupštinu grada Beograda. pic.twitter.com/xgOQsP0nQM

— Goran Petrović (@goranpancevo) December 24, 2023

Milivojević called on the police to "stand on the side of the people" and allow the demonstrators to enter.

"Come out, nothing will happen to you. We guarantee your full safety," Milivojević shouted, while the crowd chanted.

At one point, a man who introduced himself as the deputy head of security, with an earpiece, came out to the crowd and warned them that forcibly entering institutions is a criminal offense.

Srđan Milivojević replied that there was no violence and that the crowd wanted to enter the building peacefully.