BELGRADE, August 14. /TASS/. Protesters in Serbia are openly calling for violence against supporters of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), while certain opposition media outlets are broadcasting and endorsing these calls, further escalating tensions in the country, First Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Sinisa Mali said.
"Violence by participants in the blockades has intensified in cities across Serbia, and these disturbing scenes are deeply troubling for all responsible citizens. The protesters openly admit that they intend to harm SNS supporters and are calling for even more violence. Much of this is amplified and supported by a group of opposition media outlets, the so-called megaphones, which regularly use hate speech, contributing to an increasingly tense environment," Mali wrote on Facebook (banned in Russia, owned by Meta, recognized as extremist in the country).
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic earlier reported that more than 60 civilians and 16 police officers were injured during nighttime riots at the SNS headquarters in Novi Sad. Vucic specified that 64 people were injured at the SNS office on Liberation Boulevard in Novi Sad alone, while two police officers in Belgrade sustained serious injuries, including a broken jaw and severe chest wounds.