University students in Serbia are organising their inaugural major rally of the year this weekend, signalling a renewed commitment to pursuing significant political reforms in the country, currently under the authoritarian President Aleksandar Vučić. These protests, scheduled for Saturday in Belgrade, are expected to draw thousands of participants from across Serbia.
The youth movement has been instrumental in a series of large-scale anti-corruption protests that emerged last year, challenging Vučić’s administration. Currently, the students are directing their efforts towards the upcoming elections, anticipated later this year or next, to facilitate the removal of Vučić’s right-wing populist government.
“We hope a lot of people will come and spend the day with us, and then continue to support the students because we are preparing for the elections,” youth representative Isidora Jovanovic told The Associated Press. “Serbia needs a change, and students will bring that change.”
The forthcoming event on Saturday will be held at Slavija Square in Belgrade, a location that previously hosted a significant anti-government protest last March. That gathering concluded unexpectedly, with some experts suggesting — despite governmental denials — that a sonic weapon was deployed against peaceful demonstrators.
On Tuesday, law enforcement officials intervened to separate supporters of President Vucic from students who were chanting slogans such as “Students Win.”
In the days leading up to the protest, there was an unfortunate incident involving an elderly individual who sustained injuries when a driver disrupted a traffic blockade in central Belgrade. Several other incidents have also occurred in recent months, including acts of violence that affected a local election in March.
Jovanovic, one of the event organisers, has expressed a commitment to ensuring a peaceful and orderly protest. Given the anticipated attendance from across Serbia, the students are dedicated to ensuring that all participants leave the event with positive experiences and without injury.
The rise of a political movement against corruption
In response to a tragic train station incident that killed 16 people in northern Serbia in November 2024, a student movement blocked university faculties for months in 2025, pressing for accountability and early parliamentary elections. The protests led to the resignation of then-Prime Minister Milos Vucic, who has since announced elections would be held between September and November this year.
The desire for accountability over the Novi Sad station tragedy resonated widely as many believed it resulted from corruption and negligence in state infrastructure. Dusan Vucicevic, a political science professor, noted that the youth movement has grown into a significant political force capable of challenging the ruling Serbian Progressive Party.
President Vucic has pushed back against the protests, labelling demonstrators as “criminal” and suggesting they have engaged in violence. His supporters are expected to gather at a park camp outside the presidency, which was set up as a countermeasure against protesters. Reports of police brutality and arbitrary detentions have attracted international attention, with concerns that Serbia’s democratic decline could cost the country around €1.5 billion in EU funding for membership candidate nations.
Branislav Vasic and Filip Novakovic, freshmen at Belgrade’s Faculty of Political Sciences, told the AP they too will be at the rally on Saturday. The 19-year-olds said joining their older colleagues in protests is an imperative. “Everyone should go to the rally out of principle because of the situation,” Vasic said. He is convinced that “there is the strength for change as long as people want it.” Novakovic believes that “we are together in this, one step away from a better future.” This generation, he said, has a historic chance to carry out the changes previous generations could not. “I will keep trying as long as I live, he said. This struggle is a long one.”
This article used information from The Associated Press.
