Up to 190,000 people took part in an anti-government protest in Belgrade on May 23, an independent monitor said, in one of the largest demonstrations in Serbia since the fall of Slobodan Milošević.

The Archive of Public Gatherings said on May 24 that between 180,000 and 190,000 people attended the rally at Slavija Square, based on an estimated crowd density of about 1.7 people per square metre over an area of 107,000 square metres. It described the protest as the second largest since the overthrow of Slobodan Milosevic, after a March 2025 rally that drew up to 300,000 people.

Authorities disputed the figures. President Aleksandar Vucic said three official services estimated turnout at between 30,500 and 34,300, claiming that “precise data” showed slightly fewer than 34,000 people were present.

Speaking to reporters in Beijing at the start of an official visit on May 24, Vucic said he might resign before the end of his mandate, though he ruled out shortening his term in the manner of former president Boris Tadic. “It is possible that I will resign soon,” he said, without elaborating.

Vucic downplayed the significance of the rally, describing it as lacking substance and accusing organisers of responsibility for violence that broke out after it ended. He said he had been ready to congratulate opponents on a largely peaceful gathering before clashes erupted, which he said had been “prepared and planned in advance”.

Police fired teargas and clashed with protesters late on May 23 after tens of thousands gathered peacefully to demand early elections and an end to more than a decade of rule by Vucic and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS).

Opposition media and student organisers blamed the violence on provocateurs and hooligans, while authorities said protesters had attacked police.

Former police minister Bozo Prelevic, who attended the rally, said he had prior information that individuals would attempt to provoke incidents, adding that police were also aware of their presence. He described the number of officers deployed as “abnormally large”, N1 reported.

The demonstrations are part of a broader anti-corruption movement led by university students that has fuelled months of protests, strikes and road blockades since late 2024, after the collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad killed 16 people.

Student organisers say the tragedy exposed systemic corruption in public infrastructure projects, an allegation the government denies, saying those responsible have been held to account. The unrest led to the resignation of several officials, including then-transport minister Goran Vesic and former prime minister Milos Vucevic, but students say the changes were merely cosmetic.

Vucic said earlier in the week that early parliamentary elections would be held between late September and mid-November, ahead of schedule. However, setbacks in recent local elections, weaker poll ratings and large protest turnouts indicate declining support, fuelling speculation he will delay the vote for as long as possible.