BELGRADE, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Sunday vowed a rapid and forceful response "to protect citizens and property" over a week of street unrest from Tuesday to Sunday.
Speaking at a press conference, Vucic said his government would unveil "surprising decisions" in the coming days and pledged that "all who took part in the violence, including masked individuals, will be identified and detained within 10 days."
Nightly rallies against the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and counter-gatherings of SNS supporters have spread to many cities in Serbia, including Belgrade, Novi Sad and Nis.
According to the Ministry of the Interior of Serbia, in the protests and clashes between the two groups, hundreds of police officers were injured.
The protests are a nine-month-long continuation sparked by the concrete canopy collapse at Novi Sad train station last November, which caused 16 deaths and left one person severely injured, according to a press release by the Military Medical Academy Hospital in Belgrade.
Since last November, many demonstrations have been held in most cities and towns across Serbia. ■
