Description: Five days of clashes between the student protesters, pro – government supporters and police forces escalated with the torching of the headquarters of the ruling SNS party in a small town in western Serbia. The protests in Serbia violently intensified in several Serbian cities across the weekend where reportedly more than 60 people were injured and dozens were arrested. Chaos ensued in the capital, Belgrade as well as Nis, Kraljevo, Kragujevac, Krusevac, Cacak and Medvedevo, where separate clashes between pro – government protesters and members of the student movement were reported. Serbia’s police forces have been accused of brutality and the use of inequivalent use of force while attempting to restore order and public safety. Student protests in Serbia have become a daily occurrence since last year’s fatal canopy tragedy in Novi Sad and have intensified with the government denouncing any responsibility or accountability for the deadly disaster. President Aleksandar Vucic has remained adamant in his public statements, claiming the protests have been organized by foreign state sponsored actors which were aiming at toppling his government.
Impact: Serbia’s political crisis continues to aggravate with both the government and the students resolutely supporting their positions. The violent intensification of the protests indicates further internal instability which could further incite protracted security crisis with the government’s threats of intensifying the measures used by the law enforcement in countering the protesters. Vucic is unlikely to succumb before public pressure as he would attempt at stalling calls for snap elections and continue using groups of influence aligned with his autocratic grip on power. There are no evident attempts from neither side in adopting solutions through dialogue or negotiations which adds another layer of instability in Serbia’s almost year – long political crisis. The demonstration would continue to escalate, potentially turning even more violent which could prompt an even stronger repressive response from the government, further deepening the crisis and internal instability.