A gunman is reported to have opened fire in Serbia’s capital city, seriously injuring one person in what has been described as a “terrorist attack”. The incident happened at a camp-site outside the parliament building in the capital Belgrade, where supporters of the country’s president Alekdandr Vučić were gathering.
The site – known locally as “Caciland” – consists of a white-tent settlement erected in March by the president’s loyalists, ostensibly as a human shield against anti-government protests that have erupted throughout the country. One of the tents was set on fire during the incident, with video images showing it engulfed in flames and a plume of thick black smoke rising from the scene. Pandemonium broke out after a series of popping sounds resembling gun shots were heard, with people diving for cover.
As the shots rang out, several police officers ducked and pulled out their guns in response.
Serbia’s Health Minister Zlatibor Loncar later confirmed that one person had suffered serious injuries after being shot.
President Vučić was quick to condemn the attack as a “terrorist” act on the basis that the suspect had “used a firearm with the aim to cause public danger and with an undoubtful political motive.”
He also showed video footage of the incident and the alleged shooter confessing upon arrest that he wanted police to kill him.
“It was a question of time before this would happen,” said Vucic. “There were countless calls for this (shooting.)”
Serbia has been shaken by months of mass student-led protests that have challenged the authoritarian rule of Vučić. The Serbian leader has been in power for 11 years, having first served as prime minister of the country.
The mass protests broke out after the collapse of a newly renovated railway station roof in the country’s second city, Novi Sad, killed 16 people on November 1, 2024.
The catastrophe was widely blamed on entrenched fraud and corruption presided over by Mr Vučić’s ruling Serbian Progressive party.
It rapidly became the spark for a movement for democratic reform, with students demanding early elections and a new era of transparency and accountability.
Another mass rally is planned in Novi Sad on November 1 to commemorate the first anniversary of the tragedy.