Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on March 16 drew comparisons between the ongoing anti-government protests in Serbia and Ukraine's 2014 EuroMaidan Revolution, vowing to "protect and defend" the country from such an event.
His comments followed a massive rally in Belgrade on March 15, culminating months of near-daily protests against corruption and misgovernance, posing the most significant challenge to Vucic's 13-year rule.
Vucic accused protest organizers of spreading misinformation, including claims that authorities had shut down the internet and used sonic cannons against demonstrators.
"Then they came up with a story about a sonic cannon... but the army does not have such weapons," Vucic said in a video address published on social media, insisting that what was shown was an anti-drone rifle, not a crowd-control device.
Vucic compared the accusations to those made against ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych during the EuroMaidan protests, which saw over 100 demonstrators killed before Yanukovych fled to Russia in 2014.
"That's how they started talking here: 'Vucic, you shot at your own people,'" the Serbian president said. "There were no wounded; nothing happened to anyone, but they have to come up with something."
The protests erupted in November following the deadly collapse of a newly reconstructed train station roof in Novi Sad, which killed 15 people. The reconstruction, financed with Chinese and state funds, was widely viewed as corrupt.
Student-led demonstrations quickly grew into broader anti-government protests, demanding accountability and an end to corruption. Vucic, who maintains close ties with Moscow, has frequently used Kremlin-style rhetoric to discredit protests.
The Serbian opposition, along with student activists, has accused authorities of deploying a sound cannon against demonstrators during a silent vigil for the Novi Sad victims, with footage of people fleeing after a loud blast circulating on social media.
The Serbian president vowed an investigation into what he called "brutal fabrications and lies" and warned that those responsible would be prosecuted.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
(Updated: )
