Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said he was pleased that a large protest was held in Belgrade today, with "enormous negative energy, anger and rage expressed towards the authorities", and that there were no casualties or serious injuries.
He said that 22 people were arrested for crimes against the property of other people and the state, attacks on police officers and attacks on other people.
At a press conference at the Palace of Serbia, Vučić said that 44 people sought help at the emergency center, 11 at the Zvezdara Clinical Hospital, and one person in Zemun.
He said that there was a fight between protesters on Nikola Pašić Square and that the person was seriously injured, but that the injured person was not in danger.
Vučić said that the army estimated that 88.000 people attended, the police estimated 107.000, and the BIA estimated "something in between."
"A surprisingly large number of people came from the interior of the country," he added.
He said that the accusations that someone used the so-called "sound cannon" were shameful.
He explained that the special forces members had "ordinary anti-drone rifles" in their hands.
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He said that "it would have been difficult to prevent the bloodshed" if there had not been tractors to stop the crowd at Pioneer Park.
He repeated claims that today's protest was an attempt to carry out a "colored revolution."
He says, however, that he is proud that "99 percent" of the students in the blockade did not want incidents.
"I don't think particularly well of those who violate the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of movement. I don't think particularly well of all their political actions and everything, but I am satisfied because I realized that these young people, almost all of them, did not want to participate in implementing measures of violence, of violence... They also left the rally tonight, after the first incidents, and of course after the quarrels among themselves and with opposition activists, and said 'this is not ours anymore', when they realized that they no longer had control over the rally."
Vučić said that they understood the message well and that everyone in power must understand the message when so many people gather. "We will have to change ourselves and learn a lot."
However, he said that the citizens of Serbia do not want "colored revolutions" or violence, and that they want to change their government in the elections.
He said that "Serbia won today" and that they "managed to preserve peace", and that they had to deal with "much of what was hidden behind everything".
He also said that they believe there is a so-called "shack" in the city center, where members of a criminal group, which has no ties to politicians or students, have been hiding weapons.
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