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2024–2025 Serbian anti-corruption protests

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2024–2025 Serbian anti-corruption protests
Date3 November 2024 – present
Location
Serbia
Caused by
Goals
  • Justice for victims of the railway station collapse
  • Accountability for government negligence
  • Publishing of all documents released to the reconstruction of the Novi Sad railway station
  • Resignation of Goran Vesić
Methods
StatusOngoing
Concessions
  • Resignation of Goran Vesić
  • Resignation of Tomislav Momirović
  • Some documents released to the reconstruction of the Novi Sad railway station published
Parties

Anti-government protesters

  • Students
  • Education workers
  • Citizens
  • Farmers (since 13 December)
  • Lawyers
  • Postal workers
  • Actors and filmmakers
Lead figures

no centralised leadership

Number
Unknown

100,000 in Belgrade[1]

22,000 in Novi Sad[2]

In November 2024, a series of mass protests began in Novi Sad following the railway station canopy collapse in the city, which left 15 people dead and two severely injured.

Blockades of educational facilities initially started on 22 November at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts after students were attacked during a silent tribute to the victims of the 1 November incident. After the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, other faculties and high schools soon followed. In addition to other demonstrations, protesters have held the weekly "Stop, Serbia" (Serbian: Застани, Србијо, Zastani, Srbijo) traffic blockades, conducted from 11:52 AM, the time on which the canopy collapsed in Novi Sad, to 12:08 PM, in order to symbolically mark the 15 lives lost in the disaster.

Novi Sad railway station canopy collapse

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Main article: Novi Sad railway station canopy collapse

On 1 November 2024, the canopy of the Novi Sad railway station collapsed, killing 15 people and leaving 2 others with non-critical injuries. The collapse shocked the nation, with many questioning the structural integrity and maintenance oversight of public infrastructure. Authorities launched an investigation into the causes of the incident, but public frustration grew due to perceived delays and lack of accountability in the response.[3]

Protests

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November

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Early protests primarily took the form of quiet vigils for victims of the collapse.[4] However, these protests began to morph into larger and angrier demonstrations, with demonstrators accusing police and local authorities of negligence and corruption. Protesters began demanding a transparent investigation into the collapse, and the release of documents related to the incident. The Associated Press suggested that the collapse has also served as a flash point for expressions of dissatisfaction with the Serbian government as a whole.[4]

Some demonstrations escalated into acts of vandalism, with the Novi Sad City Hall being a primary target.[5] Red paint was thrown on the city hall entrance and attempts were made to breach the building.[6][7][8] Law enforcement responded with tear gas and arrests, further inflaming tensions. Protesters suggested that these and other violent demonstrations were the result of government plants seeking to derail the protests.

On 22 November, students and professors of the Faculty of Dramatic Arts gathered in the immediate vicinity of the Faculty to pay homage to the deaths in Novi Sad. The meeting was reported to the authorities, at which both the students and the professors were attacked by an organized group.[9] Some members of the group were allegedly high-ranking officials of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party.[9] After the attack on 25 November, the students began an occupation of the faculty in protest. The Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad, joined by the Faculty of Philosophy, the Faculty of Philology, the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade, followed shortly after.[10]

One November demonstration in Novi Sad drew 20,000 protesters, making it the largest protest in the city in decades.[11] Demonstrators have held weekly 15-minute traffic blockade protests on Fridays at 11:52 AM, the time of the collapse.[12] Cars, some of whose occupants are allegedly affiliated with the SNS, have struck protesters during these blockades.[13][14]

December

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On 1 December, a silent march was held in Novi Sad to commemorate one month since the collapse.[15]

By early December, Serbian students had begun organizing 24-hour blockades at some school campuses.[14] By mid-December, more than 50 university campuses (including the three biggest universities of Belgrade, Novi Sad and Niš) and multiple secondary schools had suspended classes due to student protests.[13]

On 11 December, students demonstrated at the headquarters of the public television station RTS, for their broadcasting of President Aleksandar Vučić's claims that demonstrators are being funded by Western countries who seek to destabilize Serbia.[16][13][17] The same day, Vučić made concessions including promising that all prosecutorial documents related to the disaster would be publicized, announced that all currently held protesters were released, and pledged to pardon any protesters if they were convicted at trial. While the concessions marked the first time since Vučić's rise to power in 2012 that any concessions were made to protesters, they did not include the protest's calls for his resignation.[18]

On 13 December, farmers in central Serbia blocked a road with tractors.[13]

In response to police brutality and alleged paid hooligans that have attacked civilians and protesters, opposition leaders, students, farmers and independent demonstrators organized a large-scale protest on 22 December, at Slavija Square in Belgrade.[19] The estimated attendance was between 100,000 and 102,000 people, which marks the biggest protest in Belgrade and Serbia by attendance in recorded history.[20] Similar to the 1996-1997 protests, silent protests in Belgrade and Novi Sad were held on New Year's Eve, but this time from 11:52PM to 00:07AM. According to some estimations, between 17,000 and 18,000 were in Belgrade, while between 4600 and 6000 were in Novi Sad.[21]

Symbols

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Red handprints with You have blood on your hands! (Serbian: Krvave su vam ruke!) text on the left

A common protester slogan has been "corruption kills".[11] Protest symbols have included red handprints with the caption "your hands are bloody", referring to the authorities and ruling politicians, and bleeding doves, with the dove being one of the symbols of Novi Sad.[4][22]

Domestic support

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Numerous celebrities have supported the protests including actors Tihomir Stanić, Jelena Stupljanin, Gordan Kičić, Nebojša Cile Ilić, Miloš Timotijević, Milena Radulović, Srđan Timarov, Marko Janketić, Slaven Došlo, Katarina Žutić, Svetlana Bojković, Pavle Mensur, Anđela Jovanović, Hana Selimović, Nina Janković, Milan Marić, Predrag Bjelac, Tamara Dragičević and Petar Benčina, rock music artists YU Grupa, Generacija 5, Dušan Kojić "Koja", Rambo Amadeus, Atheist Rap and Goblini, hip hop artist and writer Marčelo, pop and folk singers Seka Aleksić, Sergej Ćetković, Aleksandra Radović, Tijana Dapčević, Ana Kokić, Milan Topalović "Topalko", Lena Kovačević, Sara Jo, Relja Popović, Edita Aradinović, Zorja and Voyage, influencers such as Veseleen, Fitnes Bliznakinje and Milan Maglov and other media personalities such as television hosts Olivera Kovačević and Jovan Memedovič.[23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32]

Serbian diaspora support

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Since mid-December protests have been held by Serbian diaspora in several cities around the world. Those include Zagreb, Rijeka,[33] Paris, Brussels, Ljubljana,[34] Milan, London,[35] Venice, Budapest,[36] Vienna,[37] Berlin,[38] Munich,[39] Prague,[40] Washington DC,[41], Chicago,[42] The Hague,[43] and Skopje.[44]

References

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  1. ^ "Archive of public meetings: The largest protest ever held in Serbia, about 100.000 citizens gathered in Slavija". Vijesti. 2024-12-24. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  2. ^ "Archive of public meetings on Novi Sad protest". Archive of public meetings in Serbia. 2024-12-31. Retrieved 2024-12-31.
  3. ^ Oltermann, Philip (2024-12-22). "Serbian schools to close early for winter break amid anti-corruption protests". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  4. ^ a b c "Why people are protesting over a deadly roof collapse in Serbia". AP News. 2024-11-21. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
  5. ^ "Police fire tear gas at protest over deadly canopy collapse in Serbia". YouTube. 10 November 2024.
  6. ^ "Police fire tear gas at protest over deadly canopy collapse in Serbia". AP News. 2024-11-05. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
  7. ^ "Anti-government protesters blame rampant corruption for roof crash that killed 14 people in Serbia". AP News. 2024-11-11. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
  8. ^ "Serbian Protesters Clash with Police over Deadly Railway Station Collapse | DRM News | AC11". YouTube. 21 November 2024.
  9. ^ a b Milovanović, Tanja (2024-12-18). "Identifikovani nasilnici koji su napadali studente i novinare ispred FDU: Među njima Milija Koldžić i ostali aktivisti i funkcioneri SNS". NOVA portal (in Serbian). Retrieved 2024-12-28.
  10. ^ Stanković, Radmila (2024-12-06). "Počelo na FDU: Studenti drže čas". Radar (in Serbian). Retrieved 2024-12-28.
  11. ^ a b Delauney, Guy (2024-11-21). "Fury at Novi Sad station tragedy prompts Serbia to make first arrests". BBC News. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
  12. ^ "Protesters in Serbia hold 15-minute blockade for 15 victims of roof collapse, demanding justice". AP News. 2024-11-29. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
  13. ^ a b c d Gec, Jovana (2024-12-13). "Traffic blockades held throughout Serbia against populist government over roof collapse tragedy". AP News. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
  14. ^ a b "Car rams and injures orchestral musicians in Belgrade during a protest over station roof collapse". AP News. 2024-12-06. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
  15. ^ "Thousands march in Serbia to mark 1 month since roof collapse killed 15 people". Voice of America. 2024-12-01. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
  16. ^ "Protesters hold a noisy demonstration against Serbia's populist leadership". AP News. 2024-12-12. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
  17. ^ "Serbian students rally against government, refute claims of Western funding". Euronews. 2024-12-13. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
  18. ^ "Serbia's Vucic promises to meet protesters' demands after train station disaster". Reuters. 11 December 2024. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  19. ^ "Serbia: Farmers and students plan to protest in central Belgrade on Dec. 22". Crisis24. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
  20. ^ "Massive protest rally held in Belgrade". N1 (in Serbian). 23 December 2024.
  21. ^ "17,000-18,000 join New Year's Eve protest in Belgrade".
  22. ^ "A woman who was injured in a deadly roof collapse in Serbia has died, bringing death toll to 15". AP News. 2024-11-17. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
  23. ^ "Sloboda jača od straha: Sve veći broj javnih ličnosti uz studente, a protest na Slaviji doneo je neka baš velika iznenađenja FOTO". NOVA portal (in Serbian). 23 December 2024. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  24. ^ "Zahvalnost mladosti koja s verom u pravdu i čestitost pokušava stvari da vrati tamo gde pripadaju: YU grupa na koncertu podržala studente (VIDEO)". Danas.rs (in Serbian). 31 December 2024. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  25. ^ "„Još si mlad, ne daj da te slome": Generacija 5 objavila pesmu podrške studentima, đacima, profesorima". N1info.rs (in Serbian). 31 December 2024. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  26. ^ ""Vreme je za pravdu!": „Čika Koja" iz Discipline kičme podržao studente". Vreme.com (in Serbian). 23 December 2024. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  27. ^ "Rambo Amadeus podržao studente i poslao im poruku: „Diktatore stvara udvorička sredina. Držite stalno oči otvorene"". Nova.rs (in Serbian). 9 December 2024. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  28. ^ "Bend Atheist Rap posetio studente na blokadi Filozofskog fakulteta u Novom Sadu". N1info.rs (in Serbian). 30 December 2024. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  29. ^ "Golub iz Goblina: Studenti i đaci, respekt, kažite šta treba – mi, stari, smo tu". N1info.rs (in Serbian). 20 December 2024. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  30. ^ "Bend Atheist Rap posetio studente na blokadi Filozofskog fakulteta u Novom Sadu". N1info.rs (in Serbian). 30 December 2024. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  31. ^ "Marčelo studentima u Nišu: „Vi ste poslednja šansa da ne završimo u Orvelovoj 1984."". Juznevesti.com (in Serbian). 23 December 2024. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  32. ^ "Režim ima tri jaka oružja kojima disciplinuje estradu dok studenti protestuju". Nova.rs (in Serbian). 25 December 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
  33. ^ "Instagram".
  34. ^ Ilić, Gordana Momčilović. "Podrška dijaspore srpskim studentima i đacima na protestima". Al Jazeera Balkans (in Bosnian). Retrieved 2024-12-30.
  35. ^ "Instagram".
  36. ^ "Instagram".
  37. ^ "Instagram".
  38. ^ "Instagram".
  39. ^ "Instagram".
  40. ^ "Instagram".
  41. ^ "Instagram".
  42. ^ "Instagram".
  43. ^ "Instagram".
  44. ^ "Instagram".
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