Students launch 24-hour traffic blockade in Serbian capital
A group of university students on Friday launched a 24-hour blockade of a main street in Serbia's capital during New Year's holiday rush as protests continued in the troubled Balkan country after reports of irregularities that marred a recent election, AP reports.
The students set up small tents, tables and chairs, brought food and blankets and played loud music at their makeshift camp near the government headquarters in Belgrade, saying they will stay put until the start of another opposition gathering planned for Saturday.
The student actions triggered a huge traffic gridlock in the capital on Friday.
The rally on Saturday is expected to draw thousands of people as political tensions are running high over the Dec. 17 ballot and subsequent incidents and arrests of opposition supporters at a protest last weekend.
Populist President Aleksandar Vucic has accused the opposition of inciting violence with an aim to overthrow the government under instructions from abroad, which opposition leaders have denied.
Vucic's ruling Serbian Progressive Party have been declared the winner of the parliamentary and local elections, but the main opposition alliance, Serbia Against Violence, has alleged that fraud took place, particularly in Belgrade.
