“MOSCOW PROMISED IT WOULD NOT REMAIN SILENT”: Here’s what the British BBC is writing about the protests and violence in Serbia!

The offices of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) were set on fire during the fifth consecutive night of riots, and clashes between anti-government demonstrators and riot police broke out again, writes the BBC.

In a report on last night’s protests, the BBC states that police in Valjevo allegedly used stun grenades and tear gas against demonstrators after a small group of masked individuals attacked the empty SNS premises.

In Belgrade and Novi Sad, numerous accusations of violence and police brutality have emerged. Serbia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs has denied these allegations.

This is happening, according to the British public broadcaster, at a time when Russia has promised support to the pro-Russian president Aleksandar Vučić, with the message that it will not “remain silent.”

The protests, it adds, originally broke out after the collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad last November, which killed 16 people. Many blame the accident on corruption and the irresponsibility of Vučić’s government.

When the Escalation Occurred

Although the anti-corruption protests have gathered hundreds of thousands of citizens and were long-mostly peaceful, the escalation came on Wednesday when pro-government activists organized counter-demonstrations, the BBC writes.

On Saturday evening, the text continues, riot police were once again deployed in several cities, including Belgrade, as people took to the streets demanding early elections.

The offices and flags of the SNS were the main target of the demonstrators’ anger.

Demonstrators also smashed the windows of the headquarters of the Serbian Radical Party, a coalition partner of the SNS.

Over the past week, injuries have been reported at protests across the country, and an unverified video of police officers beating a man in Valjevo is circulating on social media.

The Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, reportedly expressed concern on Friday about the “disproportionate use of police force” in Serbia, calling on authorities to “cease arbitrary arrests and de-escalate the situation.”

Vučić responded to Saturday’s events on Instagram, writing that “violence is an expression of complete weakness” and promising that “the rioters will be punished.”

He has repeatedly rejected calls for early elections and labeled the protests as part of a foreign plot to overthrow him.

What Russia Says

Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it is noted, offered support to the “pro-Russian, right-wing president.”

A statement read: “We cannot remain silent about what is happening in fraternal Serbia.”

Russia also stated that the police are “using legitimate methods and means to contain violent groups” and that “public safety, security, and human lives” are at risk.

Protests have been shaking Serbia almost daily since the collapse of the Novi Sad station canopy.

The tragedy has become a symbol of entrenched corruption in the Balkan country, and initial demands for transparent investigations have grown into calls for early elections and an end to Vučić’s 12-year rule, according to the BBC.

At their peak, the protests have brought hundreds of thousands of people into the streets, the text concludes.