Serbia's police used teargas and crowd control vehicles on Friday evening in Belgrade to disperse anti-government protesters who threw firecrackers and flares at police officers in what is seen as a major escalation of the nine-month-long protests.

Thousands of anti-government protesters took to the streets across Serbia on Thursday, smashing windows of the governing party's headquarters in Novi Sad. In Belgrade, police fired tear gas to disperse protesters after clashes erupted with the president's supporters.

President Aleksandar Vucic is facing accusations of sending hooligan groups to suppress the anti-corruption movement that has shaken the country for the past nine months.