Thousands of Serbian citizens continue to arrive in Belgrade for the big protest to be held at 16:00 local time (17:00 Bulgarian time) in front of the National Assembly, BGNES reported.

The students, who arrived in the capital last night from different directions on bicycles, on foot or by public transport, were greeted by a crowd of citizens in Terazije Square.

According to the Ministry of Interior, around 31 000 Belgrade citizens welcomed the arrivals yesterday. Two people were officially arrested for disturbing public order. Early this morning a large number of tractors were damaged near Pioneer Park. Suspicious groups of men, both young and older, are moving in the area of Pioneer Park in Belgrade.

The students will arrive today at the protest site from four directions - from Avtokommanda, from the Republic Square, from Kral Aleksandar Avenue and from Novi Belgrade.

The gathering is announced at the roundabout near the Novi Belgrade Municipality at 10:00, at Avtokommanda at 11:30, and at 13:00 a gathering is planned at the Vuk Monument, as well as at the Republic Square.

Students have announced that they will blockade Avtokommanda at 11:52, when they will observe 15 minutes of silence in honour of the victims of the collapse of a visor at Novi Sad railway station on 1 November. The blockade will last until 13.00, after which they will head to the Serbian Parliament.

The protest in Belgrade follows mass rallies organised by students in Novi Sad, Kragujevac and Nis.

About ten days before the protest, a pro-government group called "Students 2.0" gathered in Pioneer Park, organizing a protest camp in Belgrade, demanding an end to the blockades of faculties.

Serbia's National Assembly speaker announced a day before the protest that the parliament building would be closed until 17 March for security reasons.

Government officials accused organisers of planning violence on 15 March and threatened arrests, but students at the blockade denied these allegations.

The students want criminal and political accountability for the deaths of the 15 people in Novi Sad. They are also demanding that those responsible for the attacks on them and other citizens during the protests be brought to justice. | BGNES