Reuters publishes footage of clashes in Serbia: The escalating protests have shaken Vuciqi's popularity

Supporters of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) fired fireworks and capillaries against anti-government protesters in Novi Sad on Wednesday evening, forcing police to intervene to end the crash, at a major escalation of protests that has been lasting for nine months in Serbia, writes the international news agency Reutes, which has published PEACE.

Daily protests across the country, following the death of 16 people who lost their lives when the roof of a renovated railway station in Novi Sad collapsed in November last year, has shaken the popularity of populist President Aleksandar Vuciq and the SNS.

At a press conference late Wednesday, Vuciq, accompanied by Interior Minister Ivica Dacic, said 16 police officers and about 60 SNS supporters were injured in Novi Sad. He also accused unidentified foreign powers of organising the riots and promised arrests.

The people who violated the law will be stopped... Tonight we have avoided a catastrophic scenario planned by someone outside”, he said.

Reuters says it could not independently verify Vuciqi's claims.

The images published by private N1 television showed fireworks and capillaries thrown at protesters in Novi Sad by the direction of SNS offices. And the protesters against the government, some with bloody faces, showed that Vuciki's supporters had been attacked with sticks and rubber rods.

Opposition movement “Movement-changing” said Vuciki's faithful are responsible for the clashes.

“Sulmet against people with pyrotechnic devices violate their right to life and for protest”, a statement said.

In the capital of Belgrade, police with full anti-tourish equipment blocked anti-government protesters from approaching an area in a park near the parliament building, where Vuciki supporters have been camped since March.

In another Belgrade area, anti-government protesters clashed with police who prevented them from approaching local SNS offices.

Protesters have blamed corruption for the collapse of the railway station roof in Novi Sad and have called for early elections, hoping to oust Vucic and his party from power after 13 years.

Students, opposition and anti-corruption organisations have accused Vucic and his allies of links to organised crime, violence against rivals and restrictions on media freedoms, which they deny.

On Wednesday evening, students who are leading the protests called on supporters to protest in front of SNS offices in the main cities of Serbia, including Belgrade, Novi Sad, Kragujevcin, Cacacu and Nis, following the injuries of several protesters in the SNS clashes in the town of Vrbas on Tuesday evening./Periscopi/