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Serbian opposition rally continues near election commission’s office

The protest, called by the alliance leaders, Marinika Tepic and Miroslav Aleksic, started at 6 p.m. local time

BELGRADE, December 20. /TASS/. Supporters of the Serbia Against Violence alliance continued their protest outside the office of the country’s election commission for a second day on Tuesday, according to a TASS reporter at the scene.

The protest, called by the alliance leaders, Marinika Tepic and Miroslav Aleksic, started at 6 p.m. local time. Traffic on Belgrade’s central street has been blocked. The protesters are yelling anti-government slogans and many of them are blowing whistles or whistle flutes.

On Monday, a TASS reporter witnessed how protesters hurled eggs, tomatoes, beer cans and firecrackers at the main entrance to the election commission’s building. They also sought to stop commission members from leaving the building after a meeting, hurling garbage at them. Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said that some of the people that gathered in front of the commission’s office assaulted the director of the country’s Statistics Agency, Miladin Kovacevic, and pushed him to the ground.

Serbian Election Commission Chairman Vladimir Dimitrijevic said that sticks and knives were seized from some of the protesters that tried to enter the building. He called it a sign that the election commission was under "unacceptable pressure."

Opposition has said it is disputing the victory of the ruling party-led coalition in the elections to the Belgrade City Council. According to preliminary data from the city election commission, when 92.46% of the ballots were processed, the Aleksandar Vucic - Belgrade Must Not Stop bloc gained 341,992 votes, or 39.35% of the total (winning 49 out of 110 council seats), while the opposition bloc Serbia against Violence mustered 297,751 votes, or 34.26% of the total (winning 42 seats).

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