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Turmoil in Serbia continues as tensions rise and new actors join student-led protests

Protest of students and teachers in Belgrade, 20 January 2025; Photo: FoNet

Serbia has entered uncharted waters this week as student protests triggered by the Novi Sad tragedy in November widened to include other social groups, among which are teachers and lawyers. The protesters demand the fulfilment of the students’ requests related to the Novi Sad tragedy, caused by the collapse of the city’s railway station in November.

In response to the growing displays of dissatisfaction, President Aleksandar Vučić has called for a series of country-wide rallies to mobilize the members of the ruling party, starting on 24 January. The ruling party has already implemented this strategy during the previous waves of anti-government protests, which have taken place frequently in Serbia since 2018.

On the other hand, students currently blocking their universities are calling for a general strike on the same day, 24 January. They are urging the citizens to suspend their activities and join civic disobedience.

The third month of protests

Serbia has been in political turmoil since 1 November 2024, when a part of the roof of the recently reconstructed railway station in the city of Novi Sad collapsed, killing 15 people. Following the initial gatherings in Novi Sad and Belgrade, the main form of the protests became the 15-minute weekly commemorations on the streets across the country.

The protests took a decisive turn when the students of the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, who were participating in a 15-minute commemoration, were physically attacked in late November. As a reaction, students started a blockade of their faculty, which quickly spread across the country, leading to a blockade of most of the faculties by mid-December.

The collapsed canopy of the railway station in Novi Sad; Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Mishyac

Students demand the release of all documents related to the reconstruction of the railway station in Novi Sad and the prosecution of all people responsible for attacking them during protests. While in mid-December, President Aleksandar Vučić announced that demands would be met, students maintain that this has not happened. The university blockades, accompanied by highly-attended student-led protests in front of state institutions, continued after the New Year.

According to a public opinion poll released earlier this month by CRTA, 57% of citizens believed that the country was headed in the wrong direction, while only 36% believed it was headed in the right direction. CRTA also detected broad support for the student protests, with 61% of the population supporting them and 34% opposing them.

However, commentators point out that the high degree of dissatisfaction has yet to translate into a viable political alternative to the ruling SNS.

A car hits a student during a protest, adding fuel to the fire

A serious incident occurred on 16 January, when a car hit a student during a regular 15-minute street blockade in Belgrade to commemorate Novi Sad victims. The student was taken to the hospital, from which she was released four days later, while the driver was arrested and charged with attempted murder.

The case led to the newest escalation of protests. This was not the first time that a car drove through a blockade, as these and similar provocations took place regularly in November and December. It is widely believed that part of the people who provoked the protesters were close to the ruling party.

President Vučić’s press conference on 1 December 2024 came back to haunt him. In the conference, he justified the citizens driving through the protesters, which was taking place at the time, saying that this did not violate any laws and that the protesters themselves were jumping on the hoods of the car, wanting to provoke incidents. The opposition and protesters accused Vučić of inspiring the incident on 16 January with this statement.

In response to the incident, a new wave of mass protests took place across the country, including the protest in front of the public broadcaster Radio-Television of Serbia on 17 January, which gathered up to 55,000 people.

Since 20 January, the protests have been widening to include other social groups, including teachers and lawyers. According to pro-government sources, the school semester, which began on 20 January, did not start properly in almost 20% of schools across the country due to the teachers suspending classes in support of the students.

The Lawyers’ Chamber of Serbia voted to enter a 7-day strike in support to the protests, which was speedily overturned by the Higher Court in Belgrade. The ruling remains disputed.

Meanwhile, hooligan groups believed to be associated with the ruling party have intensified their activities since 20 January and are currently engaged in large-scale spraying of graffiti against the protests in Belgrade and other cities.

With the calls for a general strike on 24 January, the same day the ruling party plans to start a series of counter-rallies, the two sides of the society are further entrenching themselves. The situation remains highly tense.

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