Chaos erupted in Serbia's parliament on Tuesday, with opposition lawmakers escalating smoked erna bullets and tear gas, protesting the government and receiving help to demonstrate students.
At least three lawmakers were injured and one suffered a stroke and after suffering a stroke, further promoting political tensions in the inland Balkan state at the intersection of southeastern and central Europe.
Video footage of the assembly hall showed the clash between lawmakers and subsequent clashes between flare and smoke bombs being thrown. Serbian media said eggs and water bottles were also thrown at them. Hundreds of opposition supporters gathered outside the parliamentary building during the session.
Serbian opposition lawmakers sucked away a hand-rena bullet inside the Serbian parliament in Belgrade on March 4, 2025. (Serbian Parliamentary Pool/Video Pool/Handout via Reuters)
Serbia swayed against anti-corruption protests after construction tragedy
The ugly scene stems from the fatal collapse of the canopy at a train station in November. The incident sparked public protest as demonstrators demanded tragic justice and accountability.
Many Serbia believe the fatal canopy collapse is the result of government corruption, sloppy work and ignoring safety regulations. The station canopy collapsed after renovations led by two Chinese companies.
The protests led to the resignation of Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vsevic in January. The prime minister's resignation has made him the highest regime official to resign, but has not quelled the uprisings and massive protests that have continued across Belgrade and the nation.
The Congress still has to confirm the Prime Minister's resignation for it to take effect.
At Tuesday's legislative meeting, lawmakers were scheduled to vote for a law that would increase funding for university education, a critical demand from student protesters.
Chaos erupted in Serbia's parliament on Tuesday, with opposition lawmakers escalating smoked erna bullets and tear gas, protesting the government and receiving help to demonstrate students. (Serbian Parliamentary Pool/Video Pool/Handout via Reuters)
However, the opposition said the majority of the rulings are also planning to approve dozens of other decisions. They said this was illegal and lawmakers should first confirm Vsevic and his government's resignation.
After the ruling coalition led by Serbia's Progressive Party (SNS) approved the agenda, some opposition politicians ran out of seats towards the Parliamentary chair and brawled with security guards.
Others threw smoked rena bullets and tear gas. Black and pink smoke rose within the council. This has witnessed brawls and water throws in decades since the introduction of multi-party democracy in 1990.
As the session continued, politicians from the Arbitration Coalition debated, but opposition lawmakers blew the horn out and exploded.
Opposition agents also held signs of reading “General Strike” and “Justice for the Killing,” but outside the building, protesters stood silently and praised the 15 people killed by the collapse of the station roof.
Congressional Speaker Anna Brunavich accused him of opposing him as a “gang of terrorists.” The ruling coalition has said that the Western intelligence agency is trying to destabilize Serbia and defeat the government by supporting the protest.
Students walk the road towards the north city of Novi Sad on January 30th to protest the deaths of 15 people who died in the collapse of the canopy of a station near the outskirts of Belgrade in Batanika, Serbia. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
Click here to get the Fox News app
The government tried to avoid scrutiny by underestimating the government's negligence in the collapse at the station. Initially, the government tried to ignore the protest, and then condemned the protest that used its strength to permeate foreign agitators.
Some observers complained that the VUCIC government's failure to act and provide a clear answer to the public is inherent to Serbia's core institutional corruption.
Meanwhile, protest leaders called for a massive rally in Belgrade, the capital on March 15th.
Fox News' Chris Massaro, Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to the report.
