Belgrade witnessed a massive demonstration on Friday, marking the peak of over four months of student-led protests against Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić. The protest, the largest in Serbia in over a decade, saw participation from farmers and bikers, underscoring widespread discontent with the government.
In the days leading up to the demonstration, Vučić sought to discredit the movement, referring to it as an “imported revolution” allegedly orchestrated by Western intelligence agencies.
However, he offered no evidence to support these claims. Despite his rhetoric, the demonstrations have remained largely peaceful, centred on accusations of government corruption and mismanagement.
Government Supporters Gather Amid Heavy Police Presence
Hundreds of Vučić’s supporters, many of them young men dressed in black with baseball caps and matching backpacks, assembled in Belgrade’s Pionirski Park, directly opposite the Serbian parliament.
Reports suggested that some belonged to organised football hooligan groups, while others were veterans of the Red Berets special forces unit, a group implicated in the 2003 assassination of reformist Prime Minister Zoran Djindjić.
A heavy police presence surrounded the parliament building, maintaining a buffer between pro-government groups and the protesters, who gathered in Slavija Square, where a stage had been set up for speeches.
Authorities took steps to limit participation, cancelling intercity train services for the day, citing passenger safety concerns. Many viewed this as an attempt by Vučić to suppress attendance. Some city transport services in Belgrade were also suspended. Despite these measures, convoys of cars, tractors, and motorcycles made their way to the capital from across Serbia, with demonstrators flying national flags and banners in support of the movement.
Calls for Institutional Accountability
The protests began on 1 November following the collapse of a newly renovated railway station canopy in Novi Sad, which resulted in 15 deaths. Public anger grew after reports surfaced that government officials had attempted to cover up unsafe construction practices and corruption linked to the Chinese-led refurbishment.
Led by students, the protest movement has focused on demands for better governance and institutional accountability. The demonstrators have distanced themselves from opposition political parties, which they accuse of being complicit in the deterioration of state institutions.
The students operate through collective decision-making rather than a formal leadership structure, aiming to maintain an independent stance.
International Response and Political Alignments
The European Union and the United Nations urged the Serbian government to respect the right to peaceful protest. Western governments have been cautious in their response, wary of alienating Vučić, who has balanced relations between the West and Moscow.
Vučić has also sought to strengthen ties with former US President Donald Trump. He has approved the construction of a Trump hotel in Belgrade and recently gave an interview to Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., who echoed the Serbian government’s claims that the protests were foreign-funded.
Trump Jr. suggested that the demonstrations had been “weaponised” to incite revolution, repeating unverified conspiracy theories about external involvement.
