Serbia Student Protests: Unrest and the Quest for Accountability
Introduction
The student protests in Serbia, sparked by a tragic incident, have evolved into a significant movement questioning government accountability and societal norms. These protests, triggered by grief and fueled by a desire for change, highlight the deep-seated issues within Serbian society and the growing demand for a more transparent and just system.
The Novi Sad Tragedy: A Catalyst for Unrest
On November 1, a newly renovated concrete canopy collapsed at the railway station in Novi Sad, Serbia’s second-largest city, resulting in the deaths of 16 people. This calamity served as a catalyst for widespread public concern and outrage, with many questioning the structural integrity and maintenance oversight of public infrastructure. The station building, constructed in 1964, had undergone renovations from 2021 to mid-2024 with support from China's Belt and Road Initiative. The protests, led by high school and university students, began as a commemoration of the victims, marking 10 months since the incident.
The tragedy cut deep because the Novi Sad station held significance for many Serbians as a meeting place. Furthermore, infrastructure projects were a source of pride for the regime. The government's emphasis on speed, patronage, and political gain over safety and oversight was exposed. The canopy's fall revealed the cracks in Serbia's political foundations.
From Grief to Grievances: The Evolution of Protests
Initially, the student-led protests focused on the lack of accountability and transparency surrounding the Novi Sad tragedy. However, as the movement gained momentum, its scope expanded to address broader issues of government corruption, media control, and the erosion of democratic institutions. A common protester slogan was "corruption kills," highlighting the belief that systemic corruption contributed to the disaster. Protest symbols included red handprints with the caption "your hands are bloody", referring to the authorities and ruling politicians, and bleeding doves (the dove is a symbol of Novi Sad). Banners accompanied protests and blockades. Most of them mention Vučić and other members of the ruling party, public prosecutor Zagorka Dolovac, and generally support the students.
The protests began with student-led blockades of educational institutions, initiated on November 22 at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, after students were attacked during a silent tribute to the victims. Other faculties and high schools soon joined. By early 2025, these 16-minute pauses had ceased as a standalone action, and the movement transitioned into sustained civil disobedience. Protesters began organizing extended road blockades, walking demonstrations, a protest cycling and relay race from Belgrade to Strasbourg and Brussels, respectively, and blockades of the headquarters of Radio Television of Serbia that severely disrupted its programming.
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Key Actors and Demands
The "Students in Blockade" movement has been at the forefront of the protests, emphasizing non-violent action and the fulfillment of publicly communicated demands. The students initially refused invitations from the president for dialogue, insisting that the judiciary and Public Prosecutor’s Office were the competent institutions. Their demands evolved from incident-based calls for accountability to questioning political legitimacy. In May 2025, after six months of continuous blockades and protests, the students demanded snap elections, citing the continuous inactivity of the responsible institutions.
The protests have garnered support from diverse segments of society, including farmers, taxi drivers, journalists, artists, medical staff, and academics. This broad-based support underscores the widespread dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs in Serbia.
Government Response: Repression and Resistance
The government's response to the protests has been characterized by a combination of denial, repression, and propaganda. President Vučić initially denied that the canopy of the railway station was renovated, a claim that was later proven false. Pro-government tabloids have targeted protesters, and reports have emerged of the alleged use of a sonic weapon against demonstrators. The mass protest held in Belgrade on June 28 saw a further increase in disproportionate government response and an escalation of violence.
More than a hundred university and high school professors have been sacked as authorities cracked down against their support of the students. The government organized pro-government rallies to counter the mobilization of protesters. The pro-government encampment in Pioneers Park was widely dubbed ćacilend by protesters. Confrontations escalated as supporters of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and the police clashed with demonstrators, leading to street fights and arrests in multiple cities, including smaller ones such as Novi Pazar and Užice.
Despite the government's efforts to suppress the protests, the movement has persisted, demonstrating the resilience and determination of the Serbian people.
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International Response: A Turning Point?
International engagement with the student-led protests in Serbia was initially slow and relatively limited. International media coverage remained narrow with only minimal engagement from the international community. The European Union (EU) largely remained silent, likely due to political and economic interests in Serbia.
However, the adoption of the European Parliament’s “Resolution on polarisation and increased repression in Serbia” in October 2025 marked a turning point in EU response to the protests. The resolution provided a critical assessment of the government's human rights violations, restrictions on freedom of speech and assembly, the decline of media independence, and its non-compliance with legal procedures when concluding international economic and infrastructure agreements. Prior to the resolution, a group of UN human rights experts issued a joint statement raising alarm over the response of the authorities to peaceful protests in Serbia, while noting the excessive use of force, arrests without legal justification, unlawful surveillance and intimidation of peaceful demonstrators.
Echoes of the Past, Seeds of the Future
Serbia has a rich history of student activism and uprisings. The current student mobilization echoes past movements in terms of its youth-led energy, symbolic use of public space, and demands for accountability. However, unlike earlier movements that merged around political parties and opposition leadership, the current one remains more decentralized, horizontal, leaderless and self-organised.
The protests offer both hope and challenge for civil society in Serbia. They demonstrate that youth-led activism can gather momentum, cross geographic and religious divides, and challenge dominant narratives. The protests have resonated with youth and civil society in neighboring states that face similar democratic challenges.
The Fight for Democracy and Accountability
The student protests in Serbia represent a significant challenge to the current government and a test of the country's democratic institutions. The protests are not merely about the tragic incident in Novi Sad, but about the broader issues of corruption, impunity, and the erosion of democratic values.
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As the protests continue, the future of Serbia hangs in the balance. The real test will be whether they generate sustainable and lasting institutional reform or dissolve into another cycle of protests without transformative change. If the protests can transition into meaningful political change, they could offer hope to citizens in similarly constrained political environments. If the transformation fails, because of continued repression or manipulated elections, the message could be that protests were not persistent enough.
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