(ANSA-AFP) - BELGRADE, MAR 30 - Thousands of Serbians voted on Sunday in local elections that were marred by accusations of violence from both supporters of the governing party and the student-led opposition. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic campaigned in most of the 10 municipalities that were voting, keen to head off a challenge from a political movement that emerged from rolling protests over corruption. The student movement said some of their observers were threatened and in one incident sprayed with pepper spray by "thugs" as they tried to expose suspicious behaviour at polling stations. Vucic's SNS party accused students of harassment and police said four people were arrested over an alleged assault of an SNS member. The students put candidates forward in all 10 municipalities, where a total of 250,000 people were eligible to vote, a tiny fraction of the electorate but a ballot that has taken on far greater significance. A wave of large-scale student-led protests has gripped Serbia since November 2024, after the collapse of a railway station roof killed 16 people in Novi Sad, the country's second-largest city. The tragedy at the newly renovated station became a symbol of entrenched corruption, with demands for a transparent investigation escalating into calls for early elections. (ANSA-AFP).