Protesting students in Serbia rally outside pro-government media outlet and stage 'decontamination'

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Thousands of people rallied outside a pro-government television station in Serbia on Saturday accused of a propaganda campaign against university students behind months of anti-corruption protests rattling populist President Aleksandar Vucic.

Informer TV is among mainstream media outlets in Serbia loyal to Vucic and his right-wing government. Informer TV and tabloid newspaper have repeatedly branded student protesters as extremists during nearly five months of almost daily street demonstrations.

Protests have been peaceful, but pro-government media have accused organizers of fueling violence and seeking to overthrow the government under orders from abroad. They have provided no evidence to support those statements.

“For months now, ever since the blockades started, we have been their target, we have been constantly smeared in the media,” student Ivona Markovic said.

The protests started after a concrete canopy collapsed in November at a train station in northern Serbia, killing 16 people. The tragedy drew focus on rampant government corruption, triggering demands for accountability and political changes.

Protests have put pressure on an increasingly authoritarian Vucic, who is formally seeking European Union membership for Serbia but maintains close relations with Russia and China.

Vucic has promised a “counterrevolution” against the protests. Authorities have threatened legal action against university professors, including calls for the arrest of Vladan Djokic, the head dean at Belgrade University.

On Saturday, Vucic visited a camp of his loyalists outside the presidency building, including a group of pro-government university students. He said that “those who introduced anarchy” at the university would be held to account.

Student protests have drawn hundreds of thousands of people, striking a chord among citizens who have been largely disillusioned with politicians.

Wearing protective white suits, several students symbolically staged a “decontamination” performance outside the Informer TV building. A “wall of shame” displayed Informer's headlines about the protests in the past months, including one alleging protest plans for a “bloody coup."

Students also launched a petition to limit the television station's access to broadcasting frequencies. The protest dubbed “DisInformer” was set to last for six hours.

“This is a media war between Informer and students, between lies and truth, abuse of power and resistance,” the students said. “They (Informer) do not inform, they persecute.”

Informer on Saturday received support from top government officials, including the defense minister. The newspaper described the protest outside its building as a “hostage crisis.”

Informer is widely watched and read in Serbia, where independent media have faced limited visibility and where critical journalists have complained of pressure, hate campaigns and lawsuits.

Serbian police officers guard a pro-government television station in Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, March 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

A photo pinned to the fence reads: "Fake news" and shows Dragan Vucicevic editor of pro-government television station, The Informer TV accusing it of spreading hate speech during nearly five months of persistent street demonstrations against corruption in Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, March 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

A woman looks out from the window during students' protest outside a key pro-government television station, in Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, March 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Protesting students rallied outside a key pro-government television station in Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, March 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Protesting students rallied outside a key pro-government television station, in Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, March 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Protesting students rallied outside a key pro-government television station, The Informer TV accusing it of spreading hate speech during nearly five months of persistent street demonstrations against corruption in Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, March 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Protesting students rally outside a key pro-government television station, The Informer TV accusing it of spreading hate speech during nearly five months of persistent street demonstrations against corruption in Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, March 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Protesting students rally outside a key pro-government television station, The Informer TV accusing it of spreading hate speech during nearly five months of persistent street demonstrations against corruption in Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, March 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Protesting students stage a symbolic "decontamination" outside a key pro-government television station, The Informer TV accusing it of spreading hate speech during nearly five months of persistent street demonstrations against corruption in Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, March 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

ROME (AP) — Italy’s main trade union confederation on Tuesday said it was joining the prosecution of a farm owner charged with the murder of an Indian migrant worker who bled to death after his arm was cut off by a piece of equipment.

Antonello Lovato, 39, has been accused of abandoning the injured and bleeding Satnam Singh, 31, and failing to call an ambulance following the incident in Latina, a largely agricultural province south of Rome, on June 17, 2024. Prosecutors originally considered charging Lovato with manslaughter, but raised it to murder with malice after the fact since he was aware the actions could cause death.

At the opening of his murder trial on Tuesday, Lovato said that “he lost his head,'' when he saw Singh, who was working in the country illegally, bleeding. ”I wasn't myself. I didn't want him to die,'' he was cited by the news agency ANSA as saying.

Outside the court, dozens of union members, including Sikh workers wearing turbans, demonstrated against the system of exploitative, underpaid migrant labor in Italy's agricultural sector, called, “caporalato.''

“I believe that what happened was apparent to everyone,'' Maurizio Landini, the secretary-general of the powerful CGIL trade union federation, told the crowd. "As is the logic of exploitation known as ‘ caporalato,’ which allows for people to be treated like merchandise, like parts of a machine that can be easily bought and sold for the lowest price. And I insist that it is this culture that needs to be changed.”

The CGIL is joining the prosecution as civil complainants, Landini was cited by the LaPresse news agency as saying. Under Italian law, parties recognized by the court as injured in the commission of crime can join the prosecution, question witnesses and possibly win damage awards in the case of conviction.

“We think it is important to seek justice, above all to put in motion everything necessary to change the way of doing business so episodes like this can never be repeated,’’ Landini said. “We don’t think this is an isolated case. It is a mistake to think this problem can be resolved with this trial. We are worried because the season is starting again.’’

The trial continues May 27.

Antonello Lovato, center, arrives for his trial at the Latina court, south of Rome, Italy, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse via AP)

A protest organized by CGIL trade union in front of Latina court, south of Rome, Italy, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse via AP)