Mass anti-government protests From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In November 2024, a series of mass protests began in Novi Sad following the railway station canopy collapse in the city, which left 15 people dead and two severely injured. As of 2 February 2025[update], the protests have spread to 200 cities and towns in Serbia[15] and are ongoing. The protest are being led by university students who demand accountability for the canopy collapse.[16]
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Protest on 22 December, at Slavija Square in Belgrade | |||
| Date | 3 November 2024 – present | ||
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| Status | Ongoing | ||
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Blockades of educational facilities initially started on 22 November at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts after students were attacked during a silent tribute to the victims of the 1 November incident. After the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, other faculties and high schools soon followed. In addition to other demonstrations, protesters held the weekly "Stop, Serbia" (Serbian: Застани, Србијо, Zastani, Srbijo) traffic blockades, conducted from 11:52 AM, the time when the canopy collapsed in Novi Sad, to 12:07 PM, in order to symbolically mark the 15 lives lost in the disaster. Some have declared the protests to be "the biggest student-led movement in Europe since 1968". [17]
On 1 November 2024, the canopy of the Novi Sad railway station collapsed, killing 15 people and leaving two others with non-critical injuries. The collapse led to widespread public concern in Serbia, with many questioning the structural integrity and maintenance oversight of public infrastructure. Authorities launched an investigation into the causes of the incident, but public frustration grew due to lack of accountability in the response.[18]
Early protests primarily took the form of quiet vigils for victims of the collapse.[19] However, these protests began to morph into larger and angrier demonstrations, with demonstrators accusing police and local authorities of negligence and corruption. Protesters began demanding a transparent investigation into the collapse, and the release of documents related to the incident. The Associated Press suggested that the collapse has also served as a flash point for expressions of dissatisfaction with the Serbian government as a whole.[19]
Some demonstrations escalated into acts of vandalism, with the Novi Sad City Hall being a primary target.[20] Red paint was thrown on the city hall entrance and attempts were made to breach the building.[21][22][23] Law enforcement responded with tear gas and arrests, further inflaming tensions. Protesters suggested that these and other violent demonstrations were the result of government plants seeking to derail the protests.
On 22 November, students and professors of the Faculty of Dramatic Arts gathered in the immediate vicinity of the Faculty to pay homage to the fatalities in Novi Sad. The meeting was announced to the authorities in accordance with the law. At the gathering both the students and the professors were attacked by an organized group.[24] Some members of the group were allegedly high-ranking officials of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS).[24] After the attack on 25 November, the students began an occupation of the faculty in protest. The Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad, joined by the Faculty of Philosophy, the Faculty of Philology, the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade, followed shortly after.[25]
One of the November demonstrations in Novi Sad drew 20,000 protesters, making it the largest protest in the city in decades.[26] Demonstrators held weekly 15-minute traffic blockade protests on Fridays at 11:52 AM, the time of the collapse.[27] Cars, some of whose occupants are allegedly affiliated with the SNS, struck protesters during these blockades.[28][29]
On 22 November, the students and citizens of Leskovac, in southern Serbia, organized a protest. It started with 15 minutes of silence in honor of the victims of the canopy collapse, and was attended by the mayor of Leskovac, Goran Cvetanović, himself a member of SNS.[30] However, the mayor later retracted his support, calling the protesters "students with bad grades" and sharing their school grades with the public, in violation of the Serbian data protection law.[31]
In late November, an audio recording was leaked to the press, allegedly with the voice of Damir Zobenica, a high-ranking official of the ruling party, advising other party members to insult and attack the protesters blocking the roads. Zobenica resigned soon after the leak.[32][33]
On 1 December, a silent march was held in Novi Sad to commemorate one month since the collapse.[34] On the same day, President Aleksandar Vučić publicly said that those who ask for the arrest of the car driver who hit the protesters are "out of their minds", because "the driver was just going on his way".[35][36]
By early December, Serbian students had begun organizing 24-hour blockades at some school campuses.[29] By mid-December, more than 50 university campuses (including the three biggest universities of Belgrade, Novi Sad and Niš) and multiple secondary schools had suspended classes due to student protests.[28]
On 5 December, the Bar Association of Serbia announced that the lawyers will organize a one-day strike on 11 December because of "systematic and long-term interference by the executive branch in the work of the judiciary branch and violation of the principle of separation of powers in a democratic society."[37][better source needed]
On 6 December, during a 15-minute blockade in downtown Belgrade, a car drove through the crowd, injuring four members of the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra who were protesting.[38] The Orchestra condemned the attack and the driver was arrested.[39]
On 11 December, students demonstrated at the headquarters of the public television station RTS, for their broadcasting of President Aleksandar Vučić's claims that demonstrators are being funded by Western countries who seek to destabilize Serbia.[40][28][41] The same day, Vučić made concessions including promising that all prosecutorial documents related to the disaster would be publicized, announced that all currently held protesters were released, and pledged to pardon any protesters if they were convicted at trial. While the concessions marked the first time since Vučić's rise to power in 2012 that any concessions were made to protesters, they did not include the protest's calls for his resignation.[42]
On 12 December, in Čačak, students of the Faculty of Technical Sciences and the Agronomic Faculty organized a protest, which began with 15 minutes of silence.[43]
On 13 December, farmers in central Serbia blocked the Ibar Highway with tractors.[28][44] That same day, in Novi Sad, a group of four hooligans tried to ram their Porsche Cayenne vehicle into the protesters and afterwards physically attacked them.[45][46] The attackers were later arrested; it turned out that one of the attackers was an active duty police officer.[47]
On 15 December, in a TV interview, prime minister Miloš Vučević said that "you can't bring down a country because of 15 people who died, nor 155, nor 1,555".[48][49] Due to overwhelmingly negative reactions, Vučević later apologized.[citation needed]
On 20 December, the silent protest was extended by one minute to commemorate a victim from the Zagreb school stabbing in Croatia.[50]
In response to police brutality and alleged paid hooligans who attacked civilians and protesters, opposition leaders, students, farmers and independent demonstrators organized a large-scale protest on 22 December, at Slavija Square in Belgrade.[51] The estimated attendance was between 100,000 and 102,000 people, which marks the biggest protest in Belgrade and Serbia by attendance in recorded history.[52]
On 24 December, in an interview, Vučić stated that "if [he] wished so, [he] could send out the Cobras special forces on the students and they would throw them around in 6–7 seconds".[53][54] This statement was widely ridiculed, and caused the students to make memes, making fun of Vučić and his phrase "throwing around" ("razbacati"). It is worth noting that Cobras are not in charge of crowd dispersals.[55]
On 25 December, people brought 1,000 letters to the office of the public prosecutor Zagorka Dolovac urging her to "start doing her job".[56] That same day, employees of the Serbian intelligence agency BIA paid an unofficial visit to the mother of one of the student organizers, at her workplace. She interpreted this move as a "threat and pressure".[57] Other organizers allegedly received telephone calls inviting them to come to BIA offices "for a friendly chat", but no official summons were handed.[58] In the evening, over 2,000 people protested in Užice, in front of the city hall.[59] The local authority, run by SNS, turned off the street lights in front of the hall, but the protesters brought a portable power generator.[60]
On 27 December, protesters blocked the road in Ivanjica. An incident occurred when a driver drove his automobile in full speed through the gathered crowd. Once his vehicle stopped, the gathered protesters attacked him, however, he was immediately protected by undercover police standing nearby and allowed to leave the area without legal repercussions.[61] That same day, 200 employees of RTS signed a petition in support of the protests.[62]
On 29 December, Vučić publicly accused eight Croatian students from FER, who were visiting their fellow students in Belgrade, of organizing the protests on behalf of the Croatian intelligence agency SOA. The names of the Croatian students were published without their consent in the pro-government media and, upon leaving Serbia, they were given alcoholic beverages with a note to "send their regards to SOA" by the Serbian border police.[63][64] Croatian Prime minister Andrej Plenković described Vučić's claim as "laughable".[65]
On 31 December, Vučić announced the formation of a "loyalist faction" within the SNS, whose "17,000 members swore a blood oath in secrecy", who are "pro-Russian oriented" and are "a bit too extreme for [his] taste". He also revealed that his brother is among the members.[66][67][unreliable source?][68] This statement caused a lot of debate: according to some analysts, it is directed not towards the protesters, but towards the more reluctant members of SNS,[69] whereas others expressed doubt that Vučić can gather 17,000 loyal activists.[70] A group of citizens signed a petition demanding an official police investigation into the existence of "loyalists".[71]
Similar to the 1996–1997 Serbian protests, silent protests in Belgrade and Novi Sad were held on New Year's Eve, but this time from 11:52 PM to 00:07 AM. According to some estimations, between 17,000 and 18,000 attended in Belgrade, while between 4,600 and 6,000 attended in Novi Sad.[72]
On 2 January, the 15 minutes of silence were extended to 29: an additional 12 for the people killed in 2025 Cetinje shootings in Montenegro on 31 December, and two for the victims killed in Arilje on 1 January.[73] The action was repeated on 3 January in Novi Sad at the blockade of the Varadin Bridge and in other cities.[74]
On 3 January, a student protest was held in Aleksandrovac, the largest one in the town's history. The students were joined by other citizens, including some of their professors.[75] On the same day, after a round of negotiations with education workers' unions, prime minister Vučević stated that all education workers who decide to strike will be fired and replaced.[76] This statement caused widespread negative reactions among education workers, who characterized the statement as "arrogant" and "insulting".[77]
The government tabloid Večernje Novosti published pictures of Croatian passports showing the names and personal data of two student protesters, claiming they are "Croatian spies" sent to "destabilize Serbia". It turned out that the students in question come from Croatian Serb refugee families and hold dual citizenship of both Serbia and Croatia. The students announced they will sue the tabloid, due to breach of the Serbian data protection law, and the public widely condemned the article.[78]
On 6 January, high-school students in Požarevac organized a protest, which began with 15 minutes of silence.[79]
On 10 January, protesters in Belgrade gathered in front of the Palace of Justice, and afterwards blocked the ring road in downtown Belgrade. Protests were also held in Novi Sad, Niš, Zrenjanin and Kikinda.[80]
On 11 January, protesters gathered in front of the offices of BIA in Novi Sad, inviting the BIA employees over "for a friendly chat". The building was heavily guarded by police.[81] A large protest was simultaneously organized in Kragujevac by local high-school students, joined by medical workers.[82][83] During the night, students of technical faculties in Belgrade reported that the unknown persons entered the campus despite the blockade and started threatening them.[84]
On 12 January, around 20,000 students and citizens gathered in front of the Constitutional Court of Serbia in Belgrade, demanding the prosecution of those responsible for the canopy collapse and expressing their support to the school workers' union which announced a possible general strike. The protest began with 15 minutes of silence.[84][85] At the same time, students in Niš organized a protest in front of the Rectorate of the University of Niš. They put up a banner saying "Work stoppage due to protest" on the second floor of the Rectorate building.[86]
On 13 January, late in the evening, unknown persons physically attacked the students blocking the Belgrade Faculty of Law, including one female student. In total, six students were injured. The police intervened and one of the attackers was arrested.[87][88]
On 14 January, the largest education workers' union (NSPRS) announced a one-day general strike, displeased with the government policy towards teachers and professors. The union representatives officially expressed their support for students and announced they will join the protests.[89] On the same day, the workers union of Elektroprivreda Srbije, Serbia's state-owned power company, announced a general strike, as well.[90] In downtown Belgrade, thousands of students marched in a rally, expressing their support for the assaulted law students and the general strike.[91][better source needed]
On 16 January, during a 15-minute blockade in downtown Belgrade, a dark blue Ford Focus vehicle drove through the protesting students, carrying one female student on the car roof for several meters without stopping.[92][93] The injured student was taken to hospital and the driver was arrested and charged with attempted murder.[94][better source needed][95] This incident caused a widespread outrage: later during the day, thousands rallied in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Zrenjanin, Kragujevac and Kraljevo, whereas in Niš, some of the faculty professors joined the student blockade.[96][97][98][99] In response to the protests in Kraljevo, the mayor of Kraljevo, Predrag Terzić, member of the SNS, compared the protestors with World War Two Croatian fascists and published their names without their consent.[100][101]
On 16 January, in Čačak, hooligans stormed the family home of a religious teacher who was also a union representative, threatening him into voting against the general strike. Earlier during the day, the teacher had a meeting with the mayor Milun Todorović, where he was asked to vote against the strike.[102][103] This caused an outrage throughout Čačak and next day, thousands gathered in support of the teacher.[104][105]
On 17 January, opposition members of the Novi Sad city assembly took over control of the Novi Sad city hall, but were soon forced out by the police in riot gear.[106] Later during the day, an older man carrying a pocket knife tried to attack the students protesting in front of the Medical Faculty in Novi Sad, but the students took the knife away from him.[107] On the same day, protesters gathered in Vranje, where the names of 15 victims of the canopy collapse were read out loud.[108]
On the evening of 17 January, students and citizens organized a massive protest in front of RTS building in Belgrade, dissatisfied with the way RTS covered the protests, once comparing the protesters symbol with that of Hamas.[109] Tens of thousands gathered and the protest began with 15 minutes of silence. Afterwards, the students paraded with a giant Cobra doll, parodying Vučić's earlier statements about Cobra special forces, and with a giant sandwich intended for the CEO of RTS, parodying the cliché of SNS supporters being paid with sandwiches.[110] The protesters played the audio recording of their demands: the publication of the entire documentation on the reconstruction of the Railway Station, the dismissal of the charges against the arrested and detained students, activists and citizens at the previous protests regarding the tragedy in Novi Sad, the filing of criminal charges against all attackers of students, professors and citizens and an increase in the budget for faculties for 20 percent.[111] The workers of the RTS gathered on the balcony and showed the banners saying "RTS employees support the students" and "You cannot run us over", referencing the vehicular attacks on the protestors.[112]
On 18 January, the Bar Association of Serbia announced a 7-day general strike, commencing on 20 January. During that period, the lawyers will not attend any court proceedings.[113] Asked about the lawyer strike in a TV interview, Vučić compared lawyers to "a mob".[114] The Bar Association condemned Vučić's stement and announced a protest.[115] On the same day, teachers and professors protested in Novi Sad, demanding the resignation of the university rector, and accusing him of supporting the attacks on students.[116] Education workers also protested in Pirot.[117] Students, school teachers and citizens protested in Kragujevac, as well.[118] Students announced that a blockade of all three bridges in Novi Sad (Liberty Bridge, Varadin Bridge and Žeželj Bridge) will take place on 1 February, to mark the three months since the canopy collapse while also being the Day of the City.[119]
On 19 January, around 10,000 teachers, professors, students and citizens protested in Čačak in support of the attacked religious teacher. Students carried a cardboard replica of a bulldozer, as a reference to the Bulldozer Revolution. In front of the SNS offices, the protesters stopped and shouted "fascists, fascists", "resignations" and threw eggs at the windows.[120][121] In Kraljevo, mayor Predrag Terzić was booed in public because of his posts against the student protesters.[122] In Belgrade, 20,000 education workers protested and were joined by students. The protest symbolically lasted for 45 minutes.[123] Due to the existence of several different education workers' unions, the decision on the strike was ultimately left to individual schools. Around 35 percent of schools, both elementary and high schools throughout Serbia, decided to go on strike starting 20 January.[124] In Subotica, students and citizens protested in the city center, expressing their support for lawyers and education workers. This protest also began with 15 minutes of silence.[125]
On 20 January, parents gathered in front of several elementary schools in Novi Sad to express their support for the teachers.[126] In the Belgrade municipality of Surčin, dozens of hooded people, allegedly tied to SNS, tried to forcefully enter an elementary school which was on strike, and verbally threatened the principal and teachers. Some parents came to assist the teachers, filmed the attackers, and the attackers eventually left.[127] In Zrenjanin, school inspectors were ordered by the Ministry of Education to enter the elementary schools which declared strike, but they refused.[128] In some schools in Belgrade and Novi Sad, parents gathered and chased out the school inspectors.[129][130] Students protested in Novi Pazar. The silence was extended to 16 minutes, in protest against the lenient sentence for the death of student Ernad Bakan in a traffic accident.[131][132] Employees of Elektroprivreda Srbije also declared a strike and announced they will be joining the protests.[133]
On 21 January, hooded people put up banners on the overpasses on the Belgrade highway, showing a picture of a flipped middle finger with the inscription "This is the response of the Serbian people to your colour revolution".[134] Many prominent SNS members, including the mayor of Kraljevo, also shared the picture of the flipped middle finger on their social media profiles.[135] The middle finger was also drawn overnight in several Belgrade schoolyards, but pupils drew flowers over them.[136] It is worth noting that term "colour revolution", although common in countries of the former Soviet Union, was never widely used in Serbia. The activists took down the banners, however, in one case, a hooded person who put up the banner attacked the activist; the attacker was filmed and doxxed later.[137] On the same day, high-school students and citizens protested in Obrenovac.[138]
In the evening hours of 21 January, undercover police stormed the Belgrade hotel where students from abroad were staying for an international conference, organized by ERSTE Foundation. Five female students from Croatia were singled out by police, transported to the police station, accused of helping the protests and deported. This act was condemned by Croatia, as well as by anti-government protesters in Serbia.[139][better source needed][140][141]
By 22 January, dozens of small, medium and enterprise companies throughout Serbia announced they will join a general strike on 24 January. Some online retail websites were temporarily offline between 11:52 AM and 12:07 AM. Employees of technology companies headquartered in New Belgrade joined the students in road blockades and protests. In Čačak, medical workers joined the protest.[142] That same day, two MPs from the SNS officially resigned, without providing an explanation.[143]
On 23 January, during the protest in Kraljevo, protesters threw eggs at the local SNS offices and at the mayor, Predrag Terzić, who was present in front of the offices. Protesters shouted "murderers, murderers".[144][145][better source needed] On that same day, in an open letter, 17 judges publicly expressed their support for students' demands.[146] Over a hundred different companies publicly stated they will support the general strike and will not operate on 24 January.[147]
On 24 January, large protests were held in Apatin, Belgrade, Gornji Milanovac, Jagodina, Lazarevac, Leskovac, Kragujevac, Niš, Novi Sad, Novi Pazar, Petrovac na Mlavi, Stara Pazova, and Vlasotince.[148][149][150] In Lazarevac, the students were joined by miners from the RB Kolubara mines. In Belgrade, high-school pupils, lawyers and tech companies organized their protest together with students. Two columns of protesters crossed the Branko's Bridge from both sides and symbolically connected two sides of the river.[151] Medical workers and workers in social care institutions either left their workplaces while the protesters were passing by or made statements of support.[152] In Novi Sad, opposition parties blocked the highway with motor vehicles for a brief period of time.[153]
The protest in Jagodina was specific since it was organized on the same day as the large SNS gathering, albeit a few hours earlier. Despite that, there were no reported incidents within the city; however, in the Belgrade municipality of Voždovac, local residents attempted to physically stop a bus driving SNS supporters to Jagodina.[154][155] The SNS supporters arrived later in the afternoon with organized buses. Speaking at the SNS gathering, president Vučić stated that he wants peace and stability, that "children need to go to schools", and that he will "not sanction Russia, nor any other friendly nation". He also announced the formation of a new political movement.[156][157][158]
During the protests in New Belgrade, a black Citroen ran over two students and seriously injured them. Afterwards, the protesters surrounded the vehicle and demolished it. The driver, a young female, was arrested by undercover police.[159][160] Students announced that they will organize a day-long blockade of the Autokomanda intersection in downtown Belgrade on 27 January.[161] The Ministry of Education called on schools to reduce the January salaries for those education workers who are on strike.[162][163]
In the morning hours of 25 January, over 650 bikers from different biker clubs gathered in Belgrade, donated food to students blocking the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, and afterwards proceeded downtown, in support of the student who was overrun. Their protest began with 15 minutes of silence, honoring the victims of the canopy collapse.[164][165] Farmers from towns and villages around Novi Sad formed columns and moved towards the city with their tractors. Their proclaimed goal was to park the tractors in front of protesting students, thereby shielding them from possible attacks. Near Rumenka, the farmers were blocked by a unit of Žandarmerija with riot gear, prohibiting them from moving further. Students from Novi Sad came to assist the farmers and the unit was eventually forced to pull back. Around 30 tractors reached the campus in Novi Sad.[166][167] Citizens also protested in Mladenovac,[168] Pirot,[169] Prijepolje[170] Smederevo,[171] Svrljig,[172] Vršac[173] and Zrenjanin.[174]
On the morning of 26 January, farmers from Banatsko Novo Selo moved towards Belgrade with their tractors. Their aim was to supply food for students blocking the Belgrade Agronomic Faculty and to leave at least 10 tractors there as a shield against possible attacks.[175] The farmers reached the faculty in the afternoon.[176][better source needed]
On 26 January, bikers organized a protest in Kragujevac, commemorating the victims with 15 minutes of silence.[177] Citizens also protested in Niš,[178] Subotica,[179] Varvarin[180] and Zaječar.[181]
On the morning of 27 January, students, bikers and farmers on tractors blocked the Autokomanda intersection in downtown Belgrade. The blockade began with 15 minutes of silence and was scheduled to last for 24 hours.[182][183] Tens of thousands attended the blockade; students played volleyball and boardgames, and made barbecue. Early the next day, the students cleaned up the intersection.[184][185] At the same time, citizens protested in Prokuplje and Kuršumlija.[186] Civil engineers announced they will protest on 29 January, supporting the students and asking the Ministry of Construction to amend the Law on Planning and Construction and appoint experts to key positions in the relevant institutions.[187]
Around 3 AM on 28 January, students putting up posters in Novi Sad were attacked by masked persons carrying baseball bats in front of the local offices of SNS. After repeated calls and 30 minutes of waiting for the emergency medical team to arrive, students were transported to hospital.[188] One female student was seriously injured and left with a broken jaw.[189][190][191] This caused an outrage on social media and students announced a new protest in Novi Sad. Around 10 AM, students gathered and drew grafitti "murderers" on the windows of SNS offices in Novi Sad.[192] At a press conference held at 11 AM, prime minister Miloš Vučević, and mayor of Novi Sad Milan Đurić, both members of SNS, resigned, citing the attack as the reason. Vučević also informed the public that the attackers indeed came from the offices of the SNS.[193] Four attackers were arrested, all of them with previous criminal record.[194] Their names were soon doxxed and their mugshots from the police station were leaked on social media. Some social media users found several old photos of Vučević and his son together with some of the attackers; despite rumors of this being a possible reason for resignation, the personal connection with the attackers was not officially confirmed.[195][196] At least two of the four attackers had previously collaborated with the city of Novi Sad in promoting recycling and environmental protection, for which they received funds from the city budget.[197]
Later in the day, farmers blocked the regional road near Bresnica, in central Serbia, with tractors. They announced they will stay there for 24 hours.[198] Another group of farmers blocked the Ibar Highway near Kraljevo with tractors, for the next 24 hours.[199] In the evening hours, in Novi Sad, Belgrade, Čačak, Kragujevac, Niš and Pirot, thousands gathered in a march of solidarity with the attacked students.[200] In Niš, students drew graffiti "murderers" on the local SNS offices and announced a blockade of the central ringroad.[201]
Following Vučević's resignation, president Vučić said he would pardon students and university teachers charged in connection with the protests and announced a major cabinet reshuffle, adding that he was considering on whether to call parliamentary elections or appoint a new government.[202] Among those pardoned was the dean of the Faculty of Philology in Niš, who was never informed of any legal proceeding against her.[203]
On 29 January, thousands of citizens protested in Gornji Milanovac and hundreds gathered in Lapovo.[204] In Ivanjica, high-school pupils and their teachers organized a protest, starting with 15 minutes of silence. The school principal brought food for pupils who want to come back to classes, however, the pupils gave that food to stray dogs, filmed it and shared the video.[205][better source needed] Belgrade students announced that they will walk by foot from Belgrade to Novi Sad to join the blockade on 1 February.[206] High school pupils from the Belgrade municipality of Zemun announced a 24-hour blockade of the Zemun Gymnasium.[207]
On the same day, the magazine "Nova Ekonomija" published an article revealing that the head of president Vučić's cabinet, Ivica Kojić, played a role in the project of reconstruction and adaptation of the railway to Hungary, including the Novi Sad railway station. According to emails published by the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad, Kojić promised the contractor that he would speed up activities on this project.[208]
On 30 January, hundreds of students from Belgrade faculties set off on a two-day walk from Belgrade to Novi Sad in order to support their Novi Sad colleagues in blocking all three bridges in that city, thereby marking three months since the collapse of the canopy. The Ministry of Internal Affairs advised it will secure the walk route.[209] Along the route, the students were greeted by citizens and by employees of Telekom Srbija, the state-owned telecommunications company.[210] Citizens of Stara Pazova, a town along their route, welcomed the students with fireworks and over 150 kilograms of free food.[211][212] Before students reached Inđija, the town's mayor, SNS member Marko Gašić, locked the entrance to the hall where the students were supposed to sleep over.[213] Residents then offered their private accommodations, and one club owner offered his night club for the students to sleep in. The students decided to stick together and spent the night in the open, sleeping on styrofoam.[214] In the morning, they proceeded to Novi Sad.[215]
Citizens protested in Grdelica,[216] Kostolac[217] and in Pećinci, despite rumors circulating that they might lose their jobs.[218] On the same day, the European Commission officially demanded information from the prosecutors' offices in Belgrade and Novi Sad in regards to the attacks on students throughout 2024 and 2025.[219]
On 31 January, another attack with a motor vehicle happened in Belgrade. Medical workers were blocking the street in front of their workplace at the central psychiatric hospital, commemorating the victims with 15 minutes of silence, when a black Volkswagen drove right through them in full speed. Three medical workers were injured and the perpetrators, two young males, tried to escape, but were stopped by other medical workers.[220]
In the evening hours, marching students reached Novi Sad, where they were welcomed by thousands of local residents. Together, they held a vigil at the Novi Sad railway station, with 15 minutes of silence.[221][222] Over a hundred taxi drivers from Belgrade announced a departure on 2 February at 1 pm from Nikola Tesla Airport, in order to transport students back from Novi Sad free of charge.[223][224][225]
In Belgrade, employees of the public transit company GSP Belgrade announced a protest for 5 February, demanding that the mayor, Aleksandar Šapić, "be held criminally liable for the damage caused to GSP, together with his assistant Miroslav Čučković".[226][227]
On 1 February, on the Day of the City and the three-month anniversary of the canopy collapse, large crowds gathered at the entrance to Novi Sad – columns of cars waited for hours at the toll gates to join the protests and blockade. A long line of several hundred bikers was seen at the entrance to Novi Sad, and many farmers also joined the protest with their tractors.[228] Around 3 PM, students blocked all three bridges in Novi Sad. Tens of thousands of citizens gathered, and the protest started with 15 minutes of silence. Two of the bridges were blocked for three hours, while Liberty Bridge was blocked for 24 hours.[229][230] After the results of the plenum in which the citizens on the bridge voted, it was extended for three more hours in order to clean up the area.[231]
In Čačak, teachers, professors and their students blocked the two bridges over the West Morava for an hour in support of the students in Novi Sad.[232] Farmers have arranged for their tractors to be parked in front of the bridges, in order to protect the protesters.[233] Citizens also protested in Kladovo, Krupanj, Kuršumlija, Prijepolje, Prokuplje and Žitorađa.[234][235] Judges of the Basic and Higher Courts in Niš publicly supported the students' demands.[236] In its prime-time news program, RTS briefly reported about the Novi Sad protest. This was condemned as "scandalous" and "biased" by the SNS.[237][238]
On 2 February, the Bar Association of Serbia announced a 30-day lawyers' strike.[239] In Novi Sad, 671 taxi vehicles from Belgrade have organized a lift back to Belgrade for students, completely free of charge.[240][241] On the same day, protests were organized in Bajina Bašta, Jagodina, Kosjerić, Šabac, Užice, Vlasotince and Vršac.[242][243] In Šabac, local students and teachers blocked the bridge over the Sava river for 225 minutes, 15 minutes for each of the 15 victims.[244]
On 3 February, the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad announced that the Special Department for Suppression of Corruption had launched an investigation into corruption in connection with the reconstruction of the canopy of the Novi Sad Railway Station.[245] In Belgrade, a 15-minute silence was held at the intersection in front of the mental hospital for those killed in the collapse. In addition to employees and citizens, bikers also blocked the intersection in front of the building to protect employees and the crowd, given that two female doctors were injured at the same location a few days ago when they were hit by a car at full speed.[246] Students from several Belgrade high schools also protested in front of their respective schools.[247] Artists have protested in front of the Ministry of Culture[248], while professors of the Aviation Academy and parents whose children attend the Academy blocked the intersection in front of the central government building.[249]
A common protester slogan has been "corruption kills".[26] Protest symbols included red handprints with the caption "your hands are bloody", referring to the authorities and ruling politicians, and bleeding doves, with the dove being one of the symbols of Novi Sad.[19][251]
Various banners could be seen during the protests and blockades. Most of them mention the president Vučić and the other members of the ruling party, the public prosecutor Zagorka Dolovac and express the support for the students. Some of the banners feature quotes or references from the Serbian and world's pop culture, such as Better Call Saul ("Not Even Saul Will Save You"), Grand Theft Auto VI ("Students Rose Before the release of GTA VI").[252] In addition to them, the Serbian flags can be seen at every protest, sometimes accompanied by the flags of various cities, such as Belgrade and Novi Sad at the gathering on 31 January.[253]
Protests were publicly supported by over 4,000 university professors, cooperators and researchers.[254]
A number of cultural institutions and associations supported the protests, including:
Theatres and orchestras
Professional associations
Music festivals
Numerous artists and celebrities from Serbia, as well as from other former Yugoslav republics supported the protests,[265][266][267][268] including:
Rock musicians and bands
Hip hop and rap artists
Pop and folk singers and musicians
Since mid-December protests have been held by Serbian diaspora in numerous cities around the world. Those include Sarajevo,[374] Banja Luka,[375] Zagreb,[376] Rijeka,[376] Split,[377] Osijek,[377] Ljubljana,[378][379] Paris,[378][380] Brussels,[381][378][382] Trieste,[383] Milan,[381] Athens,[384] London,[381] Cambridge,[385] Dublin,[379] Budapest,[379][385] Vienna,[386] Graz,[385] Berlin,[380] Frankfurt,[387] Hamburg,[388] Stuttgart,[389] Bonn,[379] Munich,[385] Zurich,[380] Bern,[390] Basel,[391] The Hague,[392] Amsterdam,[393] Barcelona,[381] Madrid,[381] Gran Canaria,[385] Prague,[394] Stockholm,[380] Oslo,[395] Valletta,[396] Washington DC,[397][398] Boston,[397][398] Nantucket,[398] Chicago,[398] Miami,[398] Tampa,[398] Houston,[398] Los Angeles,[398] Stanford, California,[399] New York City,[382][381] San Francisco,[400] Toronto,[401][398] Vancouver,[397][398] Calgary[397] and Melbourne[385]. Additionally, the Russian section of the Conspiracy of Fire Nuclei, designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, publicly called for the overthrow of Vučić's regime in Serbia.[402][non-primary source needed]
European parties Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D), European Green Party and Renew Europe supported the protests.[9][10][11][403] On 31 January, it was announced that the students of Serbia were a candidate for 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.[404]
On 1 February, Madonna supported the students on Instagram.[405][406][407][408] On 3 February, American band Garbage also supported the protests on Instagram.[409][410][411] On 4 February, Yanis Varoufakis expressed support for the students on X[412].
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