By: Kaja Antic, Sports Writer
Content warning: mentions of violence against protestors.
Editor’s note: The quotes taken from the interview conducted for this piece were translated from Serbian to English independently by the writer, who is fluent in Serbian.
On November 1, 2024, a concrete roof collapsed in Novi Sad, Serbia’s second largest city, killing 15 people. Since then, mass protests have erupted across the country, alleging government corruption and incompetence caused this tragedy. These protests have been organized largely by students, with the support of the broader Serbian population, as the collapse “has come to symbolize a wider discontent” with government corruption.
The Guardian called the protests “the biggest student-led movement in Europe since 1968.” They also called it the largest movement since the 2000 overthrow of former Yugoslavian president Slobodan Milošević. He was accused of corruption and facilitating war crimes during the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s. The recent protests have pointed out that those in power have “blood on their hands,” supposing corrupt government processes led to the collapse.
The Peak spoke with two students from Belgrade — Teodor and Mateja — who are acting as security for the protests. The Peak has only published the students’ first names to protect their identities. During the interview, the pair was on duty for a student blockade at their college in Serbia’s capital, as schools have been on strike for weeks.
“The most important thing is to fight against corruption in this country. If we hadn’t stood up, [the government] would have just gone over it,” said Mateja.
Peaceful protests have been ongoing since the initial collapse of the train station entrance. This includes 15-minute traffic blockades — a minute per fatality in the Novi Sad incident. Minutes of silence begin at 11:52 a.m. during protest activities (the same time the concrete roof collapsed) and have also been observed by the international Serbian diaspora. There have also been multiple student-led marches that go on for days as hundreds walk over 80 kilometres from Belgrade to Novi Sad.
The protesters have made multiple demands from the Serbian government, the first being a release of all documentation related to the Novi Sad station’s recent renovation. The second demand is for those who approved the allegedly insufficient renovation to be held accountable for their negligence.
“The most important thing is to fight against corruption in this country. If we hadn’t stood up, [the government] would have just gone over it.” — Mateja, security for the Serbian protests
“All authorities who were involved in that project should be sanctioned adequately with the provisions of the law,” said Mateja. “Those people who approved such a project [ . . . ] should be responsible.”
The third demand from protestors is the prosecution of groups attacking the protesters. These attacks involved physical beatings and cars driven into the traffic blockades by those displeased with the movement. It has been alleged by protesters that some of these attackers are affiliated with President Aleksandar Vučić and the conservative nationalist Serbian Progressive Party (SNS).
“They were not arrested. They were not taken into custody. Confirm their identity from the footage and start the appropriate procedure,” Teodor explained. “Not only for them but also for all the people who went out after that or in any way endangered the students.”
The fourth demand is the release of arrested protestors who students allege have been arrested without due process. Mateja alleged the police arrive once the anti-student attackers have fled, resulting in the students being the ones arrested. “It’s more like they don’t want to find them,” Teodor added, concerning the police’s seeming inaction in finding those attacking the students.
The fifth demand is a 20% increase in government funding for post-secondary education, giving opportunities for more students across the country. More recently, on February 26, the government followed through with this increase, which granted a “50% reduction in tuition fees for self-financing students.”
On January 28, Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vučević resigned, following reports of a young woman being hospitalized after an alleged attack by pro-SNS assailants during a protest. Vučević remains in power as prime minister as the National Assembly has yet to confirm his resignation, and he has yet to pick a new prime minister or call a snap election.
Protests continue across the country. The protestors, as a group, have been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, though the movement has not been widely acknowledged outside of the Balkans.
“I think it’s nice to see that someone supported you from some other country,” Mateja commented, regarding international support for the movement. While celebrities like tennis player Novak Djokovic and musical artist Madonna have shown support for the students, there is still a long way to go in the student’s eyes to topple Vučić’s government and get justice for those affected by the roof collapse.
