Tensions Erupt as Students Clash with Police in Serbia

Protestors clashed with police in Novi Pazar, Serbia, following the forced expulsion of students from a faculty building. This incident is part of ongoing anti-government protests. Students allege security company involvement, and tensions are rooted in ethnic divisions stemming from the 1990s war. The situation has increased pressure on universities.

In Novi Pazar, Serbia, protesters confronted the police on Tuesday after the forcible removal of students who had occupied a faculty building for months. This comes amid widespread anti-government demonstrations across the nation.

The protesters, rallying against populist President Aleksandar Vucic, threw bottles at the police, who retaliated with batons and shields before eventually withdrawing. The demonstrators, accusing unidentified men from a private security firm of breaking into the building, celebrated the police's retreat as a 'victory.'

Tensions in the multi-ethnic town, stemming from ethnic strife of the 1990s, have escalated since a fatal infrastructure collapse blamed on corruption. The Serbian government is pressuring universities to quell ongoing protests, which continue to demand electoral reform and challenge increasing authoritarianism.