site.btaSerbian President Pays Hospital Visit to Support Injured in Shooting Outside Parliament

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic Wednesday visited Milan Bogdanovic, a 57-year-old man who was shot outside the National Assembly in Belgrade, where tents have been set up for months by supporters of the head of State and the Serbian Progressive Party (SPS), which he founded.

Vucic shared a photo on social media from Bogdanovic’s hospital room, calling him a hero. Bogdanovic had undergone surgery after being shot in the leg earlier in the day by 70-year-old Vladan Andelkovic, who appeared at the protest site around 10 a.m. local time, carrying a can of gasoline. After starting a fire near the tents, Andelkovic later said that he acted because he was annoyed with Vucic’s supporters "for blocking the centre of Belgrade."

"I promised Milan that once he recovers, we will spend the evening together in the freest place in the heart of Europe - Caciland," Vucic said.

"Caciland" is a recently coined Serbian idiom and nickname for the stretch of space between the President's Office and the National Assembly buildings in Belgrade where the tents of those supporting Vucic and SPS are set up.

The first tents appeared in early March, set up by students protesting faculty blockades and demanding the right to continue their education. These were counter-protests to the anti-government movement.

Over the following months, the camp grew to include tents from supporters of the SPS, eventually occupying the space in front of the National Assembly.

On June 28, during a major anti-government rally in Belgrade that drew thousands and called for snap parliamentary elections, Vucic rejected the protesters' demands. He visited Caciland, declaring its inhabitants victors and labeling the protesters as terrorists who want to destroy the Serbian State.

Caciland is under constant police protection, surrounded by metal barriers from all sides.

The mass anti-government protests and faculty blockades in Serbia began in November 2024, after the collapse of the canopy of the newly renovated railway station in Novi Sad, which killed 16 people.

Protesters blame the tragedy on corruption and negligence. Initial calls for a transparent investigation and accountability evolved into a demand for snap elections. Led by students, the protests have mostly remained peaceful, although the summer months saw clashes between police and demonstrators. Protesters have accused police of brutality and excessive force.