Serbia’s students protest movement widens
Belgrade— Hundreds of Serbian university students embarked on an 80-kilometer (50-mile) march from Belgrade to Novi Sad on Thursday, marking a significant escalation in their ongoing protest movement. The demonstrations, which began in response to a deadly overhang collapse at a railway station in November that killed 15 people, have evolved into a broader challenge against suspected corruption and the authoritarian rule of President Aleksandar Vucic.
The students, carrying food, water, and extra clothing, plan to reach Novi Sad in two days. Upon arrival, they intend to stage a massive blockade of the city’s bridges over the Danube on Saturday, commemorating three months since the tragic incident. What began as a demand for accountability in construction contracts has grown into one of the most significant political challenges to Vucic’s administration in years.
The march has garnered widespread public support, with citizens lining the route to cheer on the students, offer refreshments, and express solidarity. The students have been camping at their university faculties for the past two months, organizing daily protests that have drawn tens of thousands of participants—some of the largest public gatherings in Serbia in recent years.
“This march is our way of showing support for our colleagues in Novi Sad,” said a student. “We want to demonstrate our persistence and make it clear that we will not stop until our demands are met.” Vasilije Milanovic, a student at Belgrade’s technical engineering faculty, echoed this sentiment, stating, “We are demanding justice and freedom of thought. We will pursue this to the end.”
The protests have already achieved significant political impact, forcing the resignation of Prime Minister Milos Vucevic earlier this week and extracting concessions from a government unaccustomed to yielding to public pressure. The demonstrations reflect broader discontent with Vucic’s increasingly authoritarian governance, which has tightened control over state institutions and mainstream media while facing accusations of undermining democratic freedoms.
Critics argue that the overhang collapse was a direct result of corruption in a major infrastructure project involving Chinese state companies. They claim that graft led to shoddy reconstruction work at the Novi Sad train station, inadequate oversight, and a disregard for safety regulations. “We can no longer tolerate such chaos and despotism, where one individual makes all the decisions,” said Dusan Pavlovic, a graduate of Belgrade’s drama academy. “This is not how a state should function.”
The student movement gained momentum following an attack on drama students by pro-government thugs during a daily 15-minute commemoration for the victims on January 24. Calls for accountability quickly spread across universities nationwide. According to Aleksandar Baucal, a psychology professor at Belgrade’s Faculty of Philosophy, the students have succeeded where previous protest movements faltered. “No one else could have gained the trust of such a wide cross-section of society,” he said.
The students’ demands for the rule of law, accountability, and justice have resonated deeply in a country accustomed to perpetual crisis. “People trust the students because they have lost faith in everyone else,” Baucal added. “Their empathy for the victims, resilience, and readiness to sacrifice for justice have struck a chord with the public.”
Despite facing threats, attacks, and accusations from the government—including claims that they are backed by foreign powers—the students remain undeterred. Pro-government groups have repeatedly targeted the protesters, including ramming cars into demonstrations and assaulting a female student with baseball bats this week. Nevertheless, the movement continues to grow, operating without formal leaders and making decisions through democratic plenary sessions.
The students’ determination has surprised many in a country where large numbers of young people have emigrated in search of better opportunities. “They have shown a profound interest in the world around them,” Baucal noted. “They waited for older generations to address the social problems they created, but now they are stepping up. All they ask is that we respect the laws we ourselves established.”
As the protests continue to gain momentum, they represent not only a call for justice in the wake of a tragedy but also a broader demand for systemic change in Serbia’s political landscape.
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