Ahead of the rally at Slavija in Belgrade: Several minor incidents near Pioneer Park

In front of Pioneer Park in downtown Belgrade, where supporters of the Serbian government have been staying for more than a year, several minor incidents occurred today between those in the fenced-off park and those passing by on their way to the student protest at Slavija Square.

There are several videos on social media of verbal and minor physical confrontations, during which the police separated the participants.

A gathering has been going on in Pioneer Park since noon, during which "patriotic music" is being played. The area, which has been fenced off since March last year, is being entered mainly by groups of younger men, but also by members of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), while others are prohibited from entering.

Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) MP Vladimir Đukanović earlier called on the social network X (X) to all those who support the policies of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić to "ignore the circus performers who will go to Slavia today."

"The circus has come to our city, the clowns will fool around, the trainers will have a point where they will force those present to do monkey tricks, 'And whoever doesn't jump is a fool' (...) Let them go, it's a frivolous world and don't pay attention to them. After the show, the circus leaves, a sense of sobriety sets in and we move on," Đukanović said.

A large number of police vehicles, police cars and buses, as well as members of various units in riot gear, have been deployed in Pioneer Park itself, as well as in the immediate vicinity, near the House of the National Assembly of Serbia and the Main Post Office, a Beta agency reporter reported.

Several thousand students and other citizens who had been gathering at the Faculty of Agriculture in Zemun since 13 pm, headed towards Slavija Square in the center of Belgrade, where the main part of the student protest will begin at 18 pm.

As can be seen in the videos of students blocking the Faculty of Agriculture, the column is led by drummers and large banners "Zemun cannot calm down" and "The darkest is before dawn", and the participants are blowing whistles.

Students previously announced that the column would move from the Faculty along Mihajlo Pupin Boulevard, across Branko's Bridge, and then along Gavrila Principa Street and Balkanska to Nemanjina, where it would reach Slavija.

At the rally in front of that faculty during the day, student and choir stands were set up, with the slogan "Students Win" printed on T-shirts.

There were several concerts during the gathering, and the hip hop band Beogradski sindikat performed for the people of Zemun on the steps of the main entrance to the Faculty.

The gatherings at Autokomanda, Republic Square and near the Faculty of Law will last until 17 pm, when students and other citizens will head towards Slavija.

Students and other citizens today, ahead of a rally in Belgrade scheduled for 18 p.m. on Slavija Square, blocked traffic from the nearby intersection near the Faculty of Law to the intersection of Bulevar Kralja Aleksandra, near the Metropol Hotel, and they also gathered at Republic Square.

At both ends of that space on King Aleksandra Boulevard, academics in green vests stand as security, and stands are set up in the space between, and everything is going smoothly, a Beta agency reporter reported.

There is a large banner "Students Win" in the area near the Metropol Hotel, and there are similar signs in several places within that improvised zone.

The stands also feature the emblems of citizens' assemblies, including the assembly of the Borča and Ovča settlements.

There is only traffic police at the intersection near the Faculty of Law, so vehicles can move freely along Beogradska Street and further towards Tašmajdan and Nikola Pašić Square.

The crowd occasionally chants "Pump!" and blows whistles.

Shortly after 1:30 p.m., traffic police stopped traffic from the intersection at Vuk's Monument towards the Metropol Hotel, and vehicles were prevented from moving in the direction of the Seminary.

At Slavija Square, around 14 p.m., traffic was flowing freely from all directions, and a stage with two large LED screens was being set up next to the Slavija Hotel.

And there's a big banner saying "Students win"

Not far from there, in the Pioneer Park near Nikola Pašić Square, where an improvised camp with government supporters has been set up for over a year, "patriotic music" has been playing over the loudspeakers since noon, and around 14 pm a group of young people entered the area.

Next to the park, on the plateau in front of the City Hall, there are about a dozen police vans and buses, and there are also numerous police officers with equipment for breaking up demonstrations.

There are police in the park itself as well as in front of it, near the intersection of Nikola Pašić Square and Knez Miloš Square, a Beta agency reporter reported.

Across the street, in the park near the National Assembly of Serbia, near Takovska Street and the Main Post Office building, there is also a group of police officers with shields lowered and helmets in their hands. Behind the National Assembly, a row of police and ambulance vehicles is parked.

Traffic around Republic Square is functioning smoothly, and there are several traffic police vehicles nearby, a Beta agency reporter reported.

In all these places, pedestrians pass unhindered, and for now, everything is calm.

The company "Infrastruktura Železnice Srbije" announced that at 03:06 last night, railway dispatchers on duty received an anonymous telephone report about explosive devices placed in all incoming trains and depots, which is why all railway traffic was suspended.

Rail traffic in Serbia was suspended every time there were large protests, the reason being mostly reports of bombs being planted on all trains.

Academics, activists and citizens from other parts of Serbia have announced their arrival at the gathering.

The rally at Slavija is scheduled to begin at 6:00 PM and last until 8:00 PM, and will be preceded by gatherings at four locations in Belgrade, from where the columns will head towards Slavija ahead of the rally.

From 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM, they will gather at the Faculty of Agriculture in Zemun, and from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM at Republic Square, near Autokomanda and near the Faculty of Law.

The column from Zemun, towards Slavija, is scheduled to leave at 4:00 PM, and from Republic Square, Autokomanda and the Faculty of Law at 5:00 PM.

Students have held protests on Slavija Square several times, with last year's, on March 15th, considered the largest ever held in Serbia.

There has been no concrete response from the authorities to the previously raised student demand for elections, but mostly, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has been going public with possible dates.

In the meantime, students have also organized campaigns to distribute and stick "Students Win" stickers and print sweatshirts and T-shirts, as well as bags and caps with that inscription.

The arrival at Slavija was also announced by the citizens' group "Čačanski Front", which announced that activists from several cities in western Serbia would organize a student protest from Preljina.

They are expecting the arrival of activists from Kruševac, Vrnjačka Banja, Raška, Kraljevo, Čačak, Ivanjica, Užice, Valjevo, Požega, Kosjerić, Lučani and other places.

And in Belgrade, the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia and the Journalists' Association of Serbia announced that their offices would be open to the media during the student rally on Slavija Square. The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) also called on media workers to report any cases of interference or security threats during reporting to the Safe Line 0800 100 115.