Violent Protests Rock Serbia in Challenge to Strongman President

Police fired tear gas to disperse an anti-government rally in Serbia’s capital as President Aleksandar Vucic vowed to put down protests against his rule in the Balkan country.

Demonstrations flared up in at least a dozen cities late Thursday. In Belgrade, crowds of more than 3,000 clashed with riot police and in the northern city of Novi Sad, protesters ransacked the offices of Vucic’s ruling Serbian Progressive Party.