Colded Vucic holds counter -demonstration in Belgrade

Hundreds of thousands of Serbs have since taken the streets in a student -led protest wave since November.

The protesters protest against corruption and misconduct, but President Vucic dismisses them as a threat to peace and financed by foreign intelligence services.

In an attempt at strength demonstration, he organizes his own gathering in Belgrade over the weekend. On Friday, Vucic and several other ministers joined supporters who wore a 200 meter long Serbian flag through the city.

On Saturday, thousands of people walk through the city. Along the way stands that offer free food and drink.

From several parts of the country Local authorities have organized transport for the president’s supporters to the capital.

– I’m here to celebrate the victory of love and friendship, says Jadranka Milic to the AFP news agency.

Aleksandar Vucic himself will appear on Saturday night to launch what he calls a new political movement.

Other speakers are the Bosnian Serb President Milorad Dodik, internationally wanted after deciding that Bosia-Herzegovina’s federal police and judicial system is no longer entitled to exercise power in his part of the country.

In Novi Pazar, 300 kilometers south of Belgrade, Demonstrates thousands of people against the government on Saturday.

The triggering factor behind the wave of protest – the roof collapse at the newly renovated train station in Novi Sad in northern Serbia in November that killed 16 people – became for many an overly clear illustration of a corrupt state apparatus.

In March, the protests culminated in what was described as the largest demonstration in the country for several decades. At that time, the authorities were accused of having used a sound cannon in violation of the law – which can cause cracked eardrums and lasting hearing damage – against peaceful protesters.

A sound cannon was in place, but according to police it was never used.