Serbian officials deny illegal sonic weapon attack on peaceful protesters

I am asking … the Ministry of Justice and the prosecutor’s office to react, either to prosecute those who used it, and we know they didn’t, but let’s check,

Vučić said

This act represents a blatant display of force and an attempt to incite chaos, aiming to delegitimise protests and criminalise peaceful citizens,

the group said

All people in the government have to understand the message when this many people gather. We will have to change ourselves,

As rallies were underway Saturday, Vucic said ... he said at a news conference

At the heart of the situation lies a deep atmosphere of distrust, particularly as the ruling regime continues to attempt to [delegitimize] both the protesters and their demands,

said Subotic

What Vucic is doing right now is being seen as patching things up, not seriously addressing the concerns,

she said

This annoys people because … they can sense that he’s not serious about these changes,

she said

The reaction of the crowd, that they felt as if something had passed by them was a consequence of the use of sound, with the aim of scaring them,

MP Zdravko Ponoš told the Sarajevo Times

We couldn't run away from it — we didn’t know what to do. You don’t know if something will fall on your head or hit you from the side,

Simin said

We will seek justice because what they did is not normal,

Simin said

We're here to support these brave young people, people who just want to live in a country where the rule of law works, nothing more,

an elderly protester said

It's clear students aren't sure how to intensify the protest from here. There were no clear announcements about what's next. Meanwhile, some protesters stayed on the streets, wanting more, but without knowing what or how to achieve it,

Spasojevic told DW

This is a rare moment where the whole of Serbia is united under one cause. Even if the country doesn't change after this, we'll know that we stood up together and made our voices heard,

a young man said at the protest in Belgrade

I came for my child, for my son, so that his future can be better,

a young man told DW

Since this started, something has already shifted: a change in collective awareness. It's not enough, but it's a fantastic start,

added a young woman

We will no longer allow corruption to endanger anyone's life, as happened in Novi Sad, where it claimed 15 lives,

a student speaker told the cheering crowd, referring to the collapse of the canopy at the main railway station of Serbia's second-largest city on November 1, 2024, which had only just been renovated

We have gathered in the streets primarily to express our complete dissatisfaction after years of dictatorship, lawlessness, and corruption,

said one demonstrator, Ognjen Djordjevic, a 28-year-old resident from Belgrade

Aleksandar Vučićpresident

There were no casualties or serious injuries,

Vucic said during the national address

I'm proud of the police who ensured security for all participants,

he added,

This is just the beginning of the end, a process which I hope will end soon.”

Protestor Dejan Simic said

In front of the parliament there is already a large number of people, and we have seen several processions by bikers and tractor drivers,

DW correspondent Sanja Klajic reported from the scene