Since the massive protest held last Saturday in Belgrade, which gathered tens of thousands of people, acts of civil disobedience have continued. Just yesterday, more than 157 protests took place across the country.
Following the Saturday protest, clashes broke out between police and demonstrators in the streets of Belgrade, resulting in the arrest of dozens of citizens. Among those detained were eight students accused of “inciting violent change of the constitutional order.”
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and other top state officials labelled the arrested individuals as terrorists, stating that there would be no amnesty for those seeking to destabilise the country.
In response to the arrests and police actions, protests erupted on Sunday in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Niš, and other cities, as citizens—mobilised by student groups—blocked roads and intersections. Since then, daily acts of civil disobedience have continued, with protesters erecting barricades and fences in city streets to disrupt traffic.
Police response to these blockades, particularly in central Belgrade, has been disproportionate and violent in some cases. Civil society organisations in Serbia are calling for an immediate end to police violence against students and minors.
Po čijem naređenju je pokušan Tjenanmen u Ulici vojvode Stepe?
*Video je pozajmljen sa društvenih mreža. pic.twitter.com/ddSabw6Yao
— Veljko Pajović (@veljkoveseljko) June 30, 2025
“Mass arrests and detentions in Belgrade, Novi Sad, and Niš—along with gross violations of the Constitution, laws, and police procedures—represent a dangerous escalation of repression. The concealment of police officers’ identities further fuels impunity and risks leaving these abuses unpunished,” civil society groups warned.
They noted that during just one night, from Wednesday to Thursday, police conducted 1,297 identity checks and made 79 arrests.
“The fact that a significant number of detainees were processed for minor offenses and later released clearly indicates the excessive and disproportionate use of force by law enforcement,” the organizations stated in a joint press release.
The United Nations Human Rights Council said this week it is closely monitoring the situation in Serbia amid reports of violence.
“We call on the authorities to exercise restraint and respect the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, as well as to take steps toward rebuilding trust and renewing the social contract,” the UN statement reads.
European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, stated that EU is carefully following developments in Serbia and condemned “all acts of hatred and violence,” emphasizing that “fundamental rights and values must be respected.”
Closely monitoring reports of excessive use of force against protestors in #Serbia.
The rights of peaceful demonstration, freedom of assembly & freedom of expression must be upheld.
We strongly condemn all acts of hate & violence.
Fundamental rights & values must be respected.
— Marta Kos (@MartaKosEU) July 3, 2025
“We strongly condemn all acts of hatred and violence. Fundamental rights and values must be respected,” she said.
Victoria Tiblom, rapporteur for Serbia in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), called for a full investigation into allegations of excessive police force used against demonstrators during protests in Belgrade.
“Every report of excessive force must be swiftly and thoroughly investigated, and any law enforcement officers responsible must be held accountable,” Tiblom emphasized.
Citizens and students demand snap elections
Student activists, who have been protesting for seven months, called for snap parliamentary elections on 5 May. Initially, the authorities ignored their demand, and later offered vague responses, saying elections would happen, but without specifying a date. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić later stated unequivocally that no elections would be held before December 2026.
“I am guided by the interests of the people and the state, and it is not in the country’s interest to hold elections now,” Vučić said, adding that elections would be held in December 2026, once everything is ready for Expo 2027.
“I don’t want the state to be embarrassed. They [the students] are projecting their own motives—they just want to seize power and don’t care about the country,” Vučić said.
Although the students previously said they would put forward a list of respected public figures to support in potential elections, no names have yet been made public.