Man faces attempted murder charge after driving car into elderly man during Belgrade protest

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BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — An elderly man was injured on Thursday during an anti-government street blockade in Serbia 's capital Belgrade, reflecting the deep political tensions in the Balkan country following months of mass protests against populist President Aleksandar Vucic.

An angry driver first scuffled with youth-led protesters blocking a busy downtown crossroads before driving his car backward and hitting the man, according to organizers and witnesses cited by local media.

Police said the driver, born in 1985, was arrested and is facing charges of attempted murder. The injured man, born in 1936, was taken to an emergency clinic, the statement said.

Scattered daily traffic blockades have been held routinely in Serbia since a November 2024 train station tragedy in Novi Sad that killed 16 people. The concrete canopy crash triggered mass street protests and demands for accountability for the tragedy.

University students behind the nationwide movement have been demanding early parliamentary elections that they hope would oust Vucic’s government. They are planning a big rally in Belgrade on May 23.

Many in Serbia blamed the Novi Sad crash on alleged graft-fuelled negligence in big state infrastructure projects.

Vucic has accused students and other protesters of seeking to destroy the country, without offering evidence. The pro-government Novosti daily blamed Thursday's incident on the protesting “gang.”

Vucic has said an early parliamentary vote could be held by the end of the year. Both parliamentary and presidential ballots are otherwise due next year.

Serbia is formally seeking European Union entry but Vucic has maintained close ties with Russia and China during his increasingly authoritarian rule. The EU has said Serbia could loose around 1.5 billion euros ($1.8 billion) in funding over democratic backsliding under Vucic.