Thousands of students in Serbia protest government pressure on universities
Photo: student protests in Serbia (Getty Images)
Several thousand students and civic activists from different regions of Serbia took to the streets on Sunday, December 21, in the southwest of the country to protest growing political pressure on the higher education system, according to Reuters.
The rally took place in Novi Pazar, a city with a predominantly Bosniak Muslim population, and marked the first student protest of this kind in the city.
The action became part of a broader protest movement that intensified after the collapse of a railway station roof in Novi Sad last year. Sixteen people were killed in the incident, which protesters view as a symbol of systemic problems in the country.
Students from Novi Pazar previously drew national media attention when they traveled for several consecutive days to Novi Sad to join mass rallies marking the anniversary of the tragedy on November 1. They now report reprisals by university authorities, saying some students lost their status due to participation in protests, while dozens of lecturers were dismissed.
Protesters are demanding the dissolution of the university’s governing bodies and the election of a new rector.
Throughout the day, participants observed a minute of silence for those killed in Novi Sad, held flags of their cities and universities, blew whistles, and chanted slogans of the protest movement.
Student organizations, parts of the academic community, and opposition forces accuse Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and the ruling nationalist party of corruption, nepotism, the degradation of public services, and pressure on independent media. The authorities deny these allegations.
Protests in Serbia
Earlier, it was reported on protests in Serbia on November 2, which took place in Belgrade. Demonstrators split into two camps - supporters of President Vučić and those opposing him. Bottles and signal flares were thrown as the groups exchanged chants.
Tensions in Belgrade escalated after a large rally in Novi Sad commemorating the anniversary of the railway station tragedy, where 16 people died in early November 2024. That event became the catalyst for prolonged student protests against the authorities led by Vučić, who has been in power for 13 years.
Officially, Serbian courts have arrested 13 people in connection with the Novi Sad tragedy, including former ministers of trade and infrastructure.
