A group of university students in Serbia's capital launched a 24-hour blockade of a main street during the New Year's holiday rush as protests continue in the Balkan country. The students set up tents, tables, chairs, and brought food and blankets to their makeshift camp near the government headquarters in Belgrade. They played loud music and expressed their determination to stay put until the start of another opposition gathering planned for Saturday.

The student action triggered a huge traffic gridlock in the capital, and the rally on Saturday is expected to draw thousands of people as tensions run high over the Dec. 17 election and subsequent incidents and arrests of opposition supporters at a protest last weekend. Populist President Aleksandar Vucic has accused the opposition of inciting violence with the aim of overthrowing the government under instructions from abroad.

Vucic's ruling party has been declared the winner of the parliamentary and local elections, but the main opposition alliance, Serbia Against Violence, has alleged that fraud took place, particularly in Belgrade. The opposition has been leading daily protests since the vote, and some politicians have initiated hunger strikes. The vote has been criticized by international observers for multiple irregularities, including vote-buying and abuse of public resources by the ruling party. As tensions grow, Russian officials have extended full support to Vucic in the crackdown against the protesters and backed his claims that the vote was free and fair.

Both Serbian and Russian officials have alleged a Western-backed ploy to stir political instability in Serbia. The opposition has urged an international probe of the vote, and as international rights watchdogs have observed, multiple irregularities in the vote, including unjust conditions for opposition candidates due to alleged mainstream media bias and abuse of public resources by the ruling party. The student protesters are fighting for democracy in their country and are determined to have the elections repeated in fair conditions. Their actions have caused major disruptions and added to the political tensions in Serbia. The international community is closely monitoring the situation as the country continues to grapple with the aftermath of the controversial election.