Lawmakers' Brawl Escalates to Tear Gas... Chaos Erupts in Serbia's National Assembly

Opposition Lawmakers Throw Smoke Bombs Inside Parliament
At Least Three Injured, One in Critical Condition
Anti-Corruption Protests Continue for Four Months After Train Station Collapse

An incident involving the explosion of smoke bombs and tear gas occurred inside the Serbian Parliament building. On the 4th (local time), Yonhap News, citing foreign media such as AP and Reuters, reported that opposition lawmakers in Serbia threw smoke bombs and tear gas inside the parliament building in the capital, Belgrade, injuring at least three lawmakers, one of whom is in critical condition. Notably, Yasmina Obradovic, a member of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), fell into a critical state due to a stroke. Ana Brnabic, the Speaker of the National Assembly, claimed that Obradovic is "fighting for her life in the hospital" and fiercely condemned the opposition as a "terrorist organization."

An incident involving the explosion of smoke grenades and tear gas occurred at the Serbian Parliament building. On the 4th (local time), Yonhap News, citing foreign media including AP and Reuters, reported that opposition lawmakers in Serbia threw smoke grenades and tear gas inside the parliament building in the capital, Belgrade, injuring at least three lawmakers, one of whom is in critical condition. AP, Yonhap News

Earlier, on January 28, Serbian Prime Minister Milos Busevic resigned taking responsibility for the collapse of the train station roof disaster. According to Serbian law, when the prime minister resigns, parliamentary approval is required, and a new government must be formed or an early general election held within 30 days. The opposition argued that since the prime minister's position is vacant, the current government has no authority to pass new legislation and obstructed parliamentary proceedings. Some lawmakers charged toward the speaker's podium, engaging in physical altercations with security guards, after which someone threw smoke bombs and tear gas. Live broadcasts showed black and pink smoke rising inside the parliament building.

Meanwhile, outside the parliament building, hundreds of citizens gathered to hold anti-government protests. The purpose of these protests is to investigate the truth behind the incident on November 1 last year at the train station in Novi Sad, Serbia's second-largest city, where a 35-meter-long concrete outdoor roof suddenly collapsed, killing 15 people and causing severe injuries requiring amputation for two others.

An incident involving the explosion of smoke bombs and tear gas occurred at the Serbian Parliament building. On the 4th (local time), Yonhap News, citing foreign media including AP and Reuters, reported that opposition lawmakers in Serbia threw smoke bombs and tear gas inside the Parliament building in the capital, Belgrade, injuring at least three lawmakers, one of whom is in critical condition. Yonhap News TV

Constructed in 1964, this train station underwent renovation work by a consortium of Chinese state-owned enterprises from 2021 until July 2024. However, less than four months after reopening, the roof collapsed, delivering a huge shock to the Serbian public. Despite public outrage and demands for accountability, the government has shown signs of concealing the truth by refusing to disclose documents related to the renovation work and has cracked down harshly by arresting protest participants. This has led to university students joining the protests, which have continued on a large scale for four months. However, President Vucic has rejected both calls for early elections and resignation, claiming that university students involved in the anti-corruption protests are receiving money from foreign intelligence agencies and attempting to overthrow the regime through violence. AP News reported that this incident reflects the political crisis caused by the ongoing four-month anti-corruption protests in Serbia.