Dozens of antigovernment protesters have been arrested amid clashes with riot police in Serbia’s capital during a massive rally against populist President Aleksandar Vucic, demanding an early parliamentary election.

The protest by tens of thousands of demonstrators was held after nearly eight months of persistent dissent led by Serbia’s university students, which has rattled Vucic’s firm grip on power in the Balkan country.

“We want elections!” the huge crowd chanted on Saturday as they filled the capital’s central Slavija Square and several blocks around it, with many unable to reach the venue.

Serbia’s Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said some protesters attacked the police. He said police used their powers to restore public order and “arrest all those who attacked the police”.

Some demonstrators wore scarves and masks over their faces as they clashed with law enforcement, using rubbish bins as protection against baton-wielding police. Police used pepper spray before pushing protesters with their shields.

Vucic and his right-wing Serbian Progressive Party have repeatedly refused the demand for an early vote and accused protesters of planning to incite violence on orders from abroad, which they did not specify or provide evidence of.

While numbers have shrunk in recent weeks, the massive turnout for Saturday’s anti-Vucic rally suggested that the resolve persists, despite relentless pressure and after nearly eight months of almost daily protests.

Serbian police said 36,000 people were present at the start of the protest on Saturday. An independent monitoring group that records public gatherings said about 140,000 people attended the student-led rally.

Serbian presidential and parliamentary elections are due in 2027.