On 15 March, at least 100,000 people took part in the largest-ever rally in the Serbian capital of Belgrade to protest against the country’s President Aleksandar Vučić and his government.
The event was the culmination of months of protest started in November after a concrete canopy collapsed at a train station in Novi Sad, killing 15 people and leaving two severely injured.
Led by Serbian university students, the movement aims to fight allegations of corruption, nepotism, mismanaging natural resources, voter fraud, and media control in the Vučić regime, a sentiment shared by ALDE Party member Pokret slobodnih građana (PSG).
Footage shows people observing 15 minutes of silence for the rail station disaster when a sudden deafening sound triggers panic and a brief stampede.
While Serbian officials denied that police used an illegal military-grade sonic weapon, opposition parties have said they will file charges with the European Court of Human Rights and domestic courts against those who ordered the attack.
“The only way for the state to convince people that a sound cannon was not used is to immediately announce what was used. If they can't do that even after 24 hours, then someone is lying. Or it's not the state. Either way, they're guilty,” said PSG leader Pavle Grbović.
On 12 March, a group of 35 MEPs headed by Irena Joveva MEP wrote to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen demanding a public warning to the Serbian government that any repression of protests will directly impact the country’s EU accession prospects.