Tens of thousands of people swarmed the streets in Serbia's capital Belgrade on Friday, staging a joyful prelude to a major anti-government rally on the weekend and dealing a blow to populist President Aleksandar Vucic.

Serbia’s capital Belgrade is on edge ahead of a major rally this weekend with populist authorities of President Aleksandar Vucic ramping up efforts to dissuade people from attending

Thousands of people are converging in Serbia's capital Belgrade on the eve of a major anti-government rally despite official warnings of planned violence and populist government fear-mongering aimed at dissuading people from attending.