Students march into Belgrade while populist Vucic holds rally in Serbia’s south ahead of vote

Thousands of residents welcomed students marching into Belgrade on Wednesday, ahead of a rally challenging Serbia’s populist leader Aleksandar Vucic before Sunday’s parliamentary election. The vote is a test of Vucic’s hold on power against a youth movement that has led nearly two years of protests, and close polling has made the result uncertain.

Students walked to the capital from across the country, including rural areas where Vucic’s party has traditional support; their protests began after 16 people died in a railway station disaster, prompting demands for accountability over alleged negligence. Vucic, who resigned as president in September to seek a return as prime minister, told supporters in Nis that his Serbian Progressive Party would win and accused students and professors of acting on foreign instructions. Six people were detained over alleged plans to cause election-day unrest, while monitors reported unequal media coverage, pressure on opposition activists and more than 100 violent incidents during the campaign.