A student-led strike in Serbia on Friday closed down numerous businesses and many people didn’t go to work as populist President Aleksandar Vucic planned a big rally to counter growing anti-government protests that have challenged his grip on power.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic held a rally with thousands of supporters on Friday to counter persistent anti-government protests that have challenged his tight grip on power. A student-led strike shut down businesses and drew tens of thousands of people to demonstrations around the country.

A woman has rammed a car into a crowd of anti-government protesters in Serbia’s capital and injured one of them as a student-led strike shut down businesses and drew thousands of people to demonstrations around the country.