Thousands of people rallied outside a pro-Government television station in Serbia on Saturday accused of a propaganda campaign against university students behind months of anti-corruption protests rattling populist President Aleksandar Vucic. Informer TV is among mainstream media outlets in Serbia loyal to Vucic and his right-wing government.
Informer TV and tabloid newspaper have repeatedly branded student protesters as extremists during nearly five months of almost daily street demonstrations. Protests have been peaceful, but pro-Government media have accused organisers of fuelling violence and seeking to overthrow the Government under orders from abroad. They have provided no evidence to support those statements.
“For months now, ever since the blockades started, we have been their target, we have been constantly smeared in the media,” student Ivona Markovic said.
The protests started after a concrete canopy collapsed in November at a train station in northern Serbia, killing 16 people.
The tragedy drew focus on rampant Government corruption, triggering demands for accountability and political changes.
Protests have put pressure on an increasingly authoritarian Vucic, who is formally seeking European Union membership for Serbia but maintains close relations with Russia and China.Vucic has promised a "counterrevolution" against the protests.
