Serbs Rally To Demand President Vucic Step Down

Thousands of people have rallied in Belgrade and other cities across Serbia on February 9 for the 10th week in a row to demand the resignation of President Aleksandar Vucic.

The protests took place under the motto #1of5million, a hashtag coined late last year after Vucic shrugged off demonstrations, saying he would not bow to a single demand even "if there were 5 million of you."

The rally in the capital was joined by Belgrade university students who called on their fellow students to join the protest and demand the resignation of Education Minister Mladen Sarcevic.

Last month, Sarcevic described a group of university professors who supported the movement against Vucic as "insignificant."

The protesters have been accusing Vucic of stifling democratic liberties, cracking down on political opponents, and controlling the media. He denies the accusation.

The demonstrations were triggered when a gang of thugs beat up opposition politician Borko Stefanovic in November.

With reporting by dpa