Three female members of the Serbian Parliament were injured by tear gas canisters that were set off by opposition members during a session. Radomir Lazović, a member of the opposition party Left-Green Front, approached the podium out of turn. The security service attempted to stop him and a scuffle broke out in front of the presidium.
At that moment, opposition members lit colored smoke bombs. Additionally, the lawmakers unfurled a banner calling for the ousting of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.
As a result of the tumult, 63-year-old parliamentarian Jasmina Obradović was taken to the hospital, where a stroke was diagnosed. The 8-month pregnant parliamentarian Sonja Ilić was also hospitalized and parliamentarian Jasmina Karanac suffered a head injury.
Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabić held the opposition responsible and described their members as terrorists. She noted that it is “easier for the opposition to launch firecrackers at the people and the people’s representatives” than to develop a policy and present the people of Serbia with their own vision of the country’s future.
The session was scheduled to discuss amendments to the education law, held against the backdrop of the ongoing mass protests that began in November following the collapse of a pedestrian bridge in Novi Sad, which resulted in the deaths of 15 people. Many protesters believe that the bridge collapsed due to reckless renovation work, which may be linked to corruption.
In the meantime, Balkan Insight noted that the protests, which began with demands for a fair investigation of the tragedy, have become the greatest challenge for the authorities in the country in recent years. In fact, the protesters are demanding a change of power in the country. President Vučić stated that external forces are trying to organize a color revolution in Serbia. Following the demonstrations, Serbian Prime Minister Miloš Vučević resigned.