Parliament in Serbia Breaks Out in Chaos as Opposition Uses Smoke Grenades

Smoke grenades were detonated, causing chaos in the Serbian parliament and the stroke of a legislator.

On Tuesday, opposition legislators in Serbia staged a dramatic protest against the government and in support of ongoing student-led demonstrations by using pepper spray and setting off smoke bombs within parliament. A member of the ruling party was hospitalized after suffering a stroke amid the pandemonium.

Following the deaths of fifteen people in a railway station roof collapse, four months of student-led protests have developed into the biggest challenge to President Aleksandar Vucic’s ten-year administration. Teachers, farmers, and other groups have pledged their support for the protests, which are fueled by a general outrage over perceived ineptitude and corruption in the government.

At the legislative session, opposition MPs rushed towards the parliamentary speaker and clashed with security officers after the agenda was accepted by the ruling coalition, which was led by the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). The chamber was filled with heavy pink and black smoke while others used pepper spray and smoke bombs. Television video showed the tumultuous scenes in a parliament that has seen numerous fights since Serbia’s 1990 transition to multi-party democracy.

Authorities would hold the deputies responsible for the disturbance accountable, Vucic said, denouncing it as “hooliganism.” Parliamentarians are protected from prosecution under Serbian law, however they may lose this protection if they commit major offenses.

Parliamentary Speaker Ana Brnabic said that Jasmina Obradovic, an SNS MP, had a stroke and was taken to the hospital, while three other lawmakers were hurt. The seriousness of Obradovic’s health was later confirmed by Health Minister Zlatibor Loncar.

Opposition members honked and whistled, but legislators from the ruling coalition resumed their debate despite the chaos. In reference to the Novi Sad station collapse victims in November, some carried placards that read “General Strike” and “Justice for Those Killed.”

To honor the dead, hundreds of demonstrators stood silently outside parliament. On March 15, demonstrators have demanded a sizable gathering in the capital, Belgrade.