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

Huge crowds are converging on downtown Belgrade for a major rally against populist President Aleksandar Vucic and his government

While the government put attendance at 107,000 across Belgrade, an independent monitor said 325,000 - if not more - had gathered, making it Serbia's largest protest ever. The Novi Sad collapse last November has galvanised anger towards the government and President Aleksandar Vucic.