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Student protests in over 30 cities in Serbia: Demand for early elections
2025-06-01 22:57:35 / BOTA
In more than 30 cities in Serbia, citizens are holding protests, led by students who are holding blockades, demanding that the authorities announce early parliamentary elections.
The call for collective action came exactly seven months after the collapse of the shelter at the railway station in Novi Sad, where 16 people lost their lives and another was seriously injured.
Protests in all Serbian cities are expected to last three hours, followed by a 16-minute tribute to the victims.
In Belgrade, around 6:00 PM, protesters blocked two of the most frequented bridges – Gazela and Branko's Bridge.
Protesters on the bridges are chanting the slogan "We want justice, we want truth, we want elections."
Aleksandar Jeremic, a citizen from Belgrade, went to the protest with his friends. He said he hopes that the demand for early elections, raised by the students, will be realized.
"This is an idea that I also support, but they [the students] have the energy. They are leading this, we are here to support them. This protest is just one step in this process," he told Radio Free Europe.
Demand for elections, also in Novi Sad
In Novi Sad, students and citizens blocked one of the main intersections in the city center.
A law student addressed the audience, emphasizing that a democratic society means overseeing power and seeking accountability.
"It is time to remind them that we see and want early elections. It is time to organize ourselves and make it clear to them that we will not tolerate electoral irregularities and that the Constitution will be respected," he said.
The organization of the protest in Novi Sad was supported by citizens united in local assemblies. One of their representatives also called for the announcement of elections.
"We are saying this from Novi Sad, but other cities are also protesting at the same time. There is no more day to wait – all that remains is to call elections," she said.
Massive student protest in Pozarevac
In Pozarevac, the protest began earlier in the day and is expected to last 13 hours. Students and pupils from other cities are participating in the protest – relay runners came from Čačak, while protesters from Belgrade and Jagodina traveled on foot.
The citizens welcomed them with a welcoming ceremony the day before.
Organizers plan to deliver identical speeches in all cities.
Serbian Government Reactions and Public Support
Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabić, from the ruling party, reacted by calling the blocking of bridges in Belgrade “a senseless and purposeless citizen unrest.” In a social media post, she described the protest as “violence for the sake of violence, with a philosophy of life – we can, we are arrogant and insensitive.”
Serbian students who have been blocking public universities and organizing protests across Serbia for more than six months enjoy the support of hundreds of thousands of citizens – including local groups, farmers, lawyers, actors, and others.
In early May, students demanded the announcement of early parliamentary elections, stressing that due to “deep-rooted corruption,” institutions are unable to act freely to respond to their demands.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić declared on May 16 that elections will be held within a year and a half, once the relevant institutions make a decision.
For the students, the main demand remains the determination of criminal and political responsibility for the deaths at the railway station in Novi Sad.
Authorities have stated several times that the students' demands have been met, but the students have rejected these claims and have decided to continue with the protests and blockades.
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