Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, witnessed another large-scale anti-government demonstration on Monday (September 1st), with tens of thousands of people taking to the streets in Belgrade and several other cities, demanding the resignation of President Aleksandar Vucic and calling for early elections. The police tightened security around the presidential palace, and the situation remained tense.
This protest marks ten months of ongoing civil resistance in Serbia. In November last year, a renovated train station canopy collapsed in the northern city of Novi Sad, resulting in the death of 16 people. The public believes that government corruption and regulatory negligence led to the accident, sparking intense outrage.
Monday’s action also served as a collective ceremony to mourn the victims. The demonstration, initiated by high school and university students, took place in front of the old train station in Belgrade, where 16 students held white roses and solemnly read out the names of the deceased. The protest extended beyond the capital to Novi Sad, Kragujevac, Aleksinac, and other areas.
Protesters demanded a thorough investigation of the accident’s responsibility, prosecution of officials involved, and called for the protection of press freedom. They accused the government of using state machinery to suppress dissent, intervene in the media, and even tolerate organized crime.
A 35-year-old scientist, Srdjan, told Reuters, “Corruption is the root cause of all our society’s problems, and only through elections can the situation be resolved.” Student Anabela Arsenovic told the Associated Press, “This struggle will not end quickly, we will continue to fight until the elections are held.”
In Novi Sad on Monday, riot police briefly wielded batons to disperse peaceful protesters, resulting in several injuries. While previous protests were predominantly peaceful, since mid-August, dozens of demonstrators have been injured in clashes with the police.
President Vucic has repeatedly labeled protesters as “terrorists attempting to overthrow the regime” and vowed to intensify crackdown efforts. Simultaneously, the government has initiated purges on campuses, dismissing over a hundred university professors who openly support students, replacing them with pro-government individuals.
Vucic has long advocated for Serbia’s accession to the European Union, but his government has been repeatedly accused of colluding with organized crime groups, suppressing opposition parties, and stifling media freedom. Alongside the anti-government protests, thousands of Vucic supporters gathered in various cities on Sunday, highlighting the fractured state of Serbian society.
As protests erupted, Vucic was traveling to China to attend a multi-country summit, which includes meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, leaders from the CCP and North Korea, as well as presidents of Belarus and Iran.
(This article drew on reports from Reuters and the Associated Press)