A wave of protests and occupations continues to spread across Serbia as a growing student movement demands justice for the Novi Sad railway station tragedy, where 15 people died in a canopy collapse. Since November 2024, students have mobilized against the government’s inadequate response and impunity, applying pressure that has shaken the country’s political structures.
Throughout this period, the movement has built alliances with trade unions and workers’ collectives, broadening its reach. Through their demonstrations, including marches between cities and villages, students have reached communities which have been excluded from political life over the past decades. By March 4, the Archive of Public Gatherings (Arhiv javnih skupova, AJS) reported protests in more than 400 localities, with new ones announced on a daily basis.
Student groups have called for a new mass mobilization in Belgrade on Saturday, March 15, and continue to enjoy broad public support, according to independent surveys. In the lead-up to the demonstration, they have urged people to form self-organized popular committees in response to what they describe as a crisis of representative democracy. “The strength of the student movement lies in direct democracy, which, unlike representative democracy, is not vulnerable to manipulation and corruption,” they stated.
Read more: Miners in Georgia rally against corporate exploitation
Since last year, student groups have occupied universities and schools, using plenary assemblies for decision-making. This approach has bolstered their legitimacy, allowing them to challenge government institutions, including President Aleksandar Vučić. Additionally, the movement has remained independent of political parties, a stance that has helped it connect with a population largely disillusioned by parties’ handling of their electorate in recent years, sociologist Vladimir Simović told Nedeljne informativne novine (NIN). While the final impact of the movement remains uncertain, Simović noted: “The feeling has returned that ordinary people can be political protagonists, that our fate is not just in the hands of periodically appointed politicians who ignore us between elections and who do not ask us anything about things that directly affect our lives.”
In response, authorities have escalated repression. Police maintain a heavy presence at protests, while reports of organized attacks on activists have increased. Meanwhile, the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) has signaled other potential plans to curb dissent. SNS functionary Vladimir Đukanović recently proposed privatizing public institutions, including universities and theaters, implicitly suggesting that forcing them to focus on competition would leave little room for opposition and critical thought.
In contrast, protesters have endorsed the Students’ Edict, demanding respect for democratic participation and diversity. “Serbia is a country of free people,” students declared at a recent gathering in Niš. “Freedom is not a leniency but a fundamental right, inseparable from the dignity of every citizen. Freedom is the foundation of our democracy, our laws, our speech, and our thoughts.”
