Riot police fired tear gas at thousands of anti-government protesters in Serbia’s capital on Saturday. The major rally in Belgrade against Serbia’s populist president, Aleksandar Vucic, was called to back a demand for an early parliamentary election.

President Aleksandar Vucic - populist and close to Russia - has faced months of protests and alleges a foreign coup plot.

As reported by Arab News and France24, the protest came after nearly eight months of continuous demonstrations led by Serbian students, shaking Vucic's tight grip on power in the Balkan country. The crowd chanted "We want elections!" as they filled the Slavija Square in the city center and several blocks nearby.