Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dačić said late on Thursday that at least 42 police officers were injured, several seriously, and 37 people arrested during what he described as one of the most severe attacks on police in recent years.
Speaking to the public for the second time during the night, Dačić said clashes erupted at protests across the country, with the most serious incidents in Novi Sad. He accused demonstrators, whom he referred to as “blockers,” of throwing stones, using metal rods and batons, and setting fire to trash containers that were pushed toward police lines.
“There were no SNS supporters tonight. The police were attacked, and they are here to protect public order,” Dačić said, adding that chemical agents were used “where necessary” to defend officers.
Most of the injured officers were in Belgrade, with some sustaining broken arms and legs. “This is an attack on the state,” Dačić said, questioning “who has the right to hit a police officer who is doing nothing.”
Among those detained was a Croatian citizen accused of assaulting Serbian gendarmes. “So much for claims that these protests have nothing to do with foreign influence,” Dačić said.
He urged calm, insisting the situation was about maintaining public order rather than politics. “I want to commend the police officers who were on duty tonight. They work in the interest of the state, not any political party,” he said.