Unprecedented unrest at the regular spring session of the Serbian parliament, in which the resignation of the government was to be established.

Serbian opposition MPs lit flares and threw smoke bombs. MPs were injured, N1 reported.

Several thousand students and other citizens blocked traffic in front of the parliament building. At 11:52, a 15-minute silence was observed in memory of the 15 people killed in the Novi Sad tragedy. This was followed by boos and shouts of "thieves".

Two members of the SPP (Serbian Progressive Party) were injured and a third was injured. Parliament Speaker Brnabić announced that Jasmina Obradović, a female MP hit by a smoke bomb, was in life-threatening condition. She was taken by ambulance to hospital. However, the opposition claims that the bomb in the victim's head came from the seats of the ruling majority.

Bernabic stressed that the National Assembly will continue today's sitting. "President Aleksandar Vucic is on his way to visit Obradovic," said Brnabić, calling the opposition "a terrorist gang, not a political party."

"I would like to inform the honourable members of the opposition that you became stars of Albin Kurti (Kosovo's prime minister) and the Albanian media, if that is what you wanted, you succeeded, congratulations," she added. Bernabic suggested that after 18:00 the opposition members should stay and clean "as we cleaned after you for 12 years".

Opposition MP Miroslav Aleksic responded that "the opposition has established the resignation of the government". The opposition unfurled a banner reading "Serbia rises for the fall of the regime". The ruling party responded to the opposition by shouting "ustashi" with Serbian flags in their hands, after which water bottles flew from both sides. All the while, while the SPP MPs were speaking on the rostrum, vulvuzelas and booing could be heard. 

The agenda of the sitting was to include a total of 62 items, including changes to the Higher Education Act, a bill on housing loans for young people and a vote on the dismissal of the Speaker of Parliament Ana Burnabić.

The sitting started at 10:00 (local time) in the National Assembly with the playing of the national anthem, but the incidents took place shortly after 11:00.

Both the government and the opposition have announced a total of 20 press conferences for today. Aleksic said the addresses to the media on the sidelines could be considered a "parallel session of parliament".

BGNES recalls that mass protests against the regime of President Aleksandar Vucic are taking place in neighbouring Serbia for the fourth month. The outbreak of discontent was triggered by the fall of the railway station visor in Novi Sad on 1 November, for which protesters blame the corrupt system of governance. The tragedy killed 15 people. | BGNES