BELGRADE, Serbia — Skirmishes erupted for a second day on Friday during a court protest in Serbia as political tensions persist in the Balkan country more than six months after the start of massive anti-corruption demonstrations.
Riot police in the northern city of Novi Sad used pepper spray and pushed away protesters demanding the release of a group of activists jailed for a third month for alleged anti-state activities.
The six activists were detained in March after secret recordings of their alleged plotting of anti-state actions were broadcast on pro-government media in Serbia ahead of a major rally in the capital, Belgrade.
Police had also used pepper spray in Novi Sad on Thursday, while incidents erupted in the central town of Kraljevo during a session of the local municipal assembly.
Tensions also mounted in the southern city of Nis where Vuicic plans a weekend rally and students announced they would organize a counter-gathering on Saturday.
Hundreds of thousands of people attended the huge March 15 rally in the Serbian capital that was part of a nationwide movement which started after a concrete canopy collapsed on Nov. 1 at a train station in Novi Sad killing 16 people.
Many in Serbia believe widespread government corruption linked to major infrastructure projects fueled negligence and undermined construction regulations that contributed to the disaster.
Shaken by the protests, the government of populist President Aleksandar Vucic has stepped up pressure on those involved while trying to curb the demonstrations.
Critics have accused Vucic of an increasingly authoritarian rule, pressure on the media and stifling of democratic freedoms. The populist president formally says he wants Serbia to join the European Union while boosting relations with Russia and China.
Earlier this month, Vucic attended Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Victory Day military parade in Moscow, which has sparked EU criticism.
Lawyers for the jailed activists in Novi Sad say that accusations against their clients are based on illegal wiretapping and lack evidence of the alleged coup plot. Six more activists have fled the country to avoid arrest over the same incident.
Local media reports said a jailed high school professor, who is among the detained, has been transferred to a hospital in Belgrade after going on hunger strike.
