Dozens arrested and injured in clashes in Belgrade

Clashes between protesters and Serbian police continued for the third consecutive night, with dozens of arrests and injuries, the Interior Ministry said Saturday.

"The protesters arrived in Belgrade masked, carrying metal bars, pieces of wood, stones and shields, and with the intention of attacking the police," said Minister Ivica Dacic at a press conference.

According to Dacic, 38 people were arrested and six police officers were injured, while media outlets critical of the Serbian nationalist government reported on Saturday that emergency services had treated at least ten people injured in the protests.

N1 television station reported that Belgrade experienced another "dramatic" night, the third in a row, with protesters setting fire to and overturning trash containers in the streets and setting off fireworks. Police dispersed them with armored vehicles and tear gas.

The previously peaceful protests led by university students against President Aleksandar Vucic, whom they accuse of being authoritarian and corrupt, have turned violent in recent days.

On Wednesday, 27 police officers and at least 80 civilians were injured in clashes that students and the opposition said were provoked by pro-government “thugs.”

The same sources accuse the police of failing to respond to the violence of these groups, while at the same time abusing force against anti-government protesters.

In a message published Friday night, the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O'Flaherty, deplored "the disproportionate use of force by the police" and reiterated the call for authorities to "avoid excessive use of force, end arbitrary arrests and reduce tensions."

Protests against police violence, including violent clashes, also took place on Friday night in Novi Sad, Valjevo, Nis, Sabac, Loznica and Kragujevac, with further actions planned for this weekend.

The wave of mass, mostly peaceful, protests began after a bus stop at the newly renovated Novi Sad train station collapsed on November 1, killing 16 people. The initial demand for accountability and transparency regarding the project's award and execution, carried out by Chinese companies, transformed into a denunciation of government authoritarianism, a demand for improvements in the rule of law, and the holding of early elections.

Serbia is formally seeking membership in the European Union, but Vucic maintains close ties with Russia and the People's Republic of China and faces accusations of repressing democratic freedoms since taking power 13 years ago.