Protesters encircle Serbian state TV building to press government to ease its grip on media

By JOVANA GEC
Associated Press

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Huge crowds of anti-government protesters have encircled the Serbian state television building in downtown Belgrade to press for their demand for autocratic President Aleksandar Vucic ease his tight grip on the mainstream media and allow alternative voices. Tens of thousands of opposition supporter on Saturday streamed into the rain-drenched streets a day after the president’s followers staged an equally big rally in the capital. Some of Most of his supporters were bused into the capital from all over Serbia and some neighboring states. The rallies initially erupted in response to two back-to-back mass shootings earlier this month that left 18 people dead and 20 wounded, many of them children from an elementary school.