Protesters waved Serbian flags and held up signs reading "We do not accept". They cheered Marinika Tepic, a leader of the opposition coalition Serbia Against Violence (SAV), who has been on hunger strike since December 18.
According to preliminary results from the state election commission, the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) won 46.72% of the vote in the early parliamentary election on December 17. The SAV came in second with 23.56% of the vote. The Serbian Socialist Party came in third with 6.56%.
People attend a protest in Belgrade, Serbia, December 30, 2023. Photo: Reuters
SAV, which came second in the general election, has accused SNS of widespread vote rigging, something the Serbian government denies.
An international monitoring mission after the vote said the SNS had gained an unfair advantage. Serbian authorities also denied any irregularities.
Jovana Djokovic, a 29-year-old software developer, said she came to the protest with her parents, who drove to Belgrade from the central town of Kraljevo, 177 kilometers (110 miles) to the south.
"I came here to express my disagreement with the election results. I feel a responsibility to be here," Djokovic said. "The election was not fair."
The opposition has held daily protests against the election results in front of the election commission since December 17, attracting thousands of people.
Saturday's protest was supported by student organizations and by an initiative bringing together public figures including prominent intellectuals and actors dubbed ProGlas.
Mai Anh (according to Reuters)
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