The sound of whistles and vuvuzelas echoed through central Belgrade on Saturday as the Serbian capital prepared for a major rally against populist President Aleksandar Vucic and his administration.
Crowds gathered in the city centre for an event seen as the culmination of months of near-daily anti-corruption demonstrations that have become the most serious challenge to Mr Vucic's 13-year rule in Serbia.
Amid rising tensions, police said they had arrested a man who ploughed his car into protesters on the outskirts of Belgrade, injuring three people.
Before the demonstration, Mr Vucic warned several times of possible plans for unrest, threatening arrests and severe punishment for any incidents.
To prevent people from attending the rally, public transport was stopped in Belgrade on Saturday, and roads leading to the capital were filled with huge queues of cars.
The transport company said the cancellation was made “for safety reasons”.
Tens of thousands of people gave a warm welcome on Friday evening to students who had spent days walking or cycling from all over Serbia to Belgrade to attend the main rally on Saturday afternoon.
From early morning people began to gather in various parts of the city, preparing to march to the center.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
