Serbia‘s Parliament erupted in chaos Tuesday, with opposition lawmakers lighting flares and throwing smoke grenades inside the legislature on the opening day of its spring session. Politicians could be seen tussling with security on a live broadcast and, as the smoke rose, some held up a banner reading, “Serbia rises up to bring down the regime.” The Balkan country has been rocked by student-led anti-corruption protests in recent months, stemming from the collapse of a train station roof last year that killed 15 people. The incident has become a symbol for alleged corruption in the ruling coalition led by the Serbian Progressive party, as well as graft in the construction sector. Among the Parliament’s scheduled business on Tuesday was to formalize the resignation of Serbia’s populist prime minister, Miloš Vučević, who announced in January that he would resign to calm tensions after protests spread to more than 100 cities. Speaker Ana Brnabić, a member of the ruling coalition, said at least three lawmakers were injured in Tuesday’s scuffle, including one who had a stroke and was in critical condition.
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