Serbian students in the fight against the authoritarian regime
Serbia is currently experiencing a wave of protests following the death of 15 people in Novi Sad. The collapse of a canopy at the city’s railway station has led students to take to the streets across the country to fight for a better future.
January 29, 2025 -
Tatjana Đorđević
-
Articles and Commentary

Photo: Faculty of Dramatic Arts, University of Arts in Belgrade
Sonja Ponjavić, a student at the Faculty of Law in Belgrade, was brutally struck on the sidewalk when the driver of a Ford Fiesta hit her. She was carried on the roof of the car before being thrown headfirst onto the asphalt. The driver then fled the scene of the accident. Another student was seriously injured after being struck on the head with a baseball bat—an incident that deeply shocked Serbian Prime Minister Miloš Vučević, who resigned the following day. Novi Sad’s mayor, Milan Đurić, also stepped down alongside him.
Pavlović, a 20-year-old first-year law student, like all the other students, they were part of the protesters who, over the past two months, gathered daily to block traffic in Belgrade and other Serbian cities for 15 minutes.This act served both as a protest and a tribute to the victims of the horrific tragedy that occurred on November 1st, when the collapse of a canopy at the Novi Sad railway station claimed the lives of 15 people, including two young girls and their grandfather.
Sonja is currently in a stable condition, though she has sustained severe head and brain injuries. It is still unclear when she will be discharged from the hospital, although the country’s president, Aleksandar Vučić, has expressed his wishes for her speedy recovery. In several public addresses since the student blockades and protests began, President Vučić has repeatedly emphasized that individuals who hit students with their cars – an event that occurs frequently during these blockades – are almost justified in doing so. He has argued that citizens in vehicles, unable to pass due to the students blocking the streets, have the right to reach their destinations. Vučić also claimed that these students, in his view, are aiming to destroy the country of Serbia. It is worth noting that the president of Serbia has appeared on regime-affiliated TV channels almost every day. He has been on these stations more than 340 times in a single year. He discusses every issue, assuming authority in areas well beyond his presidential duties.

Photo: Faculty of Dramatic Arts, University of Arts in Belgrade
The collapse of the canopy of a renovated railway station in Novi Sad
In one of his recent addresses, commenting on the recent events, Vučić stated: “They want to use the youth. They want to deceive us and seize power without going through elections. I will never allow this, you fools. As long as I’m alive, there will be no transitional government.” This was directed at the opposition, whom he labelled as a group of donkeys, losers and good-for-nothings.
The protests by Serbian students, which have led to the occupation of over 60 university faculties across Serbia (out of a total of around 80), began on November 22nd. On that day, in front of the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, a group of individuals attacked and assaulted students who had gathered to observe a 15-minute silence in memory of the 15 lives lost.
During the commemoration, the students were physically attacked by individuals linked to the Serbian Progressive Party, the dominant political group supporting President Aleksandar Vučić. As the police failed to intervene, the students decided to occupy the faculty, interrupting all academic activities.
In the following days, students from Belgrade, Novi Sad and other cities joined the protest, demanding accountability from the institutions involved. Specifically, they called on the authorities, especially the State Prosecutor, to prosecute those responsible for the attacks on students and to release the documents related to the reconstruction of the railway station.
The students also demanded transparency regarding how and where the 65 million euros allocated for the station’s reconstruction were spent. The works were awarded to a consortium of two Chinese companies: “China Railway International” and “China Communications Construction”.
More than two months after the incident in Novi Sad, not all those responsible have been identified. Two ministers have resigned, one of whom was briefly arrested but released shortly afterward. These events have only fuelled public scepticism about the integrity of the investigations.
“In a democratic country, after a tragic event in which 15 lives were lost and two others were seriously injured, it would be the State Prosecutor who would explain how the investigation will proceed,” says Miodrag Jovanović, a professor at the Faculty of Law in Belgrade and one of the promoters of the “ProGlas” initiative (Proclamation). This initiative mobilized citizens critical of the government to participate in the parliamentary elections on December 17th last year.
The day after the collapse, President Vučić intervened, stating that the canopy of the Novi Sad station had not been renovated. This is unlike the rest of the railway station, which had undergone restoration works. However, a year earlier, the former mayor of Novi Sad and current prime minister, Miloš Vučević, had claimed that the railway station had been fully renovated. This statement was echoed by the president himself during the official inauguration of the station in March 2022.
“If the State Prosecutor started doing their job, what the students are asking for would bring an end to Vučić’s government, as both he and his ministers should be prosecuted,” added Professor Jovanovič, stating that this time it is the students who are leading the protests, without the involvement of the opposition.

Photo: Faculty of Dramatic Arts, University of Arts in Belgrade
“You will not crush us. Serbia is our country”
After the tragic incident in which Sonja Ponjavić was run over, students from all faculties currently involved in the blockade, along with other citizens, headed to the building of RTS, the state television channel, with around 50,000 participants.
“Belgrade is the world” and “You will not crush us” have been some of the banners waved during the daily street blockades. Among the various banners displayed by the students, many featured red handprints, a clear symbol accusing the authorities of having blood on their hands. To express their dissatisfaction with the censorship and lack of coverage of the events in Serbia by public service media, the students gathered in front of the RTS building. However, some employees of the station came out that evening holding a banner that read: “RTS workers are with the students.”
“We will not back down from our demands; we insist that the relevant institutions do their job. We will remain in blockade until our demands are met,” said Barbara Alija and Milica Ivković, students at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade. They added that the more the authorities ignore their demands, the more fiercely they will respond.
“We don’t have leaders; we are decentralized in our organization. At our faculties, we hold plenums every day to decide on our next steps. We don’t want any interference from the opposition or other political parties. This is our fight and our country, in which we want to stay and live,” said two students.
Every year, Serbia loses a number of citizens equivalent to the population of the city of Kragujevac, which has around 140,000 inhabitants. The students, who have finally risen up and decided to change the society they live in – one that is dominated by corruption, ideological uniformity, and the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) – are challenging a system rooted in the past. The SNS has its origins in the 90s and traces its roots to the radical party of Vojislav Šešelj, one of the key figures who contributed to the outbreak of war and the breakup of Yugoslavia.

Photo: Faculty of Dramatic Arts, University of Arts in Belgrade
The largest student protests since 1968
The incident in Novi Sad marks yet another event in recent years that has sparked widespread anger among citizens against Vučić’s government. Once again, Serbs have taken to the streets to demand transparency about what happened.
This time, the protests are being led by students, who are gaining increasing support every day – even from those who may have previously supported Vučić. Marshal Tito once said that “Students are always right,” and this was in 1968, during the large wave of student demonstrations that affected Yugoslavia and wider Europe.
“Although he may wish to emulate Marshal Tito, the Serbian president has lost touch with reality. For the first time in his 12 years in power, he finds himself in a situation where his counterpart refuses to engage in direct dialogue with him. This drives him mad, and no one can predict how it will end,” says Professor Stojanović, a historian at the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade. He adds that what is happening in Serbia represents a turning point, with a new generation forcefully and resolutely making its voice heard.
The challenge facing Vučić and his institutions is not just political, but moral. The legitimacy of Belgrade’s power can no longer be taken for granted, and young Serbs are unwilling to remain silent in the face of a future that promises only marginalization and hopelessness.
The protests continue
On Friday, January 24, Serbia came to a standstill due to a general strike organized by students and supported by many citizens. The initiative sparked a massive act of civil disobedience across the country.
Later, on Monday, January 27, protesters blocked “Autokomanda”, the most important and heavily trafficked intersection in Belgrade, for 24 hours. Students also announced further protests in the coming days, determined to continue until their demands are met.
The ongoing protests show that Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić is now at a crossroads – either he suppresses a so-far peaceful demonstration, risking further unpopularity, or he fully gives in to the demands of the streets, opening the door to an irreversible regime change.
Tatjana Đorđević is the chairman of the Foreign Press Association in Milan and a journalist, writing for Al Jazeera Balkans, BBC News, Portal Novosti and La Stampa.
Please support New Eastern Europe's crowdfunding campaign. Donate by clicking on the button below.