Belgrade, February 28, 2025
REPORT: Anti-corruption protests in Serbia: Overview of events and the actions of institutions towards protesters
In Novi Sad, the second largest city in Serbia, on November 1, 2024, the canopy of the recently reconstructed Railway Station fell. 15 people died. All over Serbia, citizen protests against corruption followed, demanding that the competent institutions find and punish those responsible. At one of those protests, students of the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade who were peacefully paying their respects to the victims were attacked. It turned out that among the attackers were members of the Serbian Progressive Party and officials in local bodies and state enterprises. This attack on students initiated the beginning of student blockades at colleges across the country, and they are supported by a wide front of citizens: educators, workers, farmers, lawyers, artists and others. Young people started a wave of protests against corruption and for the rule of law. Their demands clearly advocate for institutions that act independently and responsibly and are asked to just do their jobs and punish those responsible for the deaths of 16 people, as well as those who attack students and protesting citizens. The student blockades began on November 22, 2024, and in the previous period there were numerous attacks and institutional pressures on them and all those who support them. The government’s repressive mechanisms have not yielded results, and students are still bravely demanding the fulfillment of their demands.
The report before you is an overview of the events from November 1, 2024 to March 24, 2025, with a special focus on all types of pressure, attacks and targeting to which students and protesting citizens are exposed by representatives of the authorities and state institutions. It is not a comprehensive account of the numerous events that have taken place since the fall of the canopy, but rather an overview of the violations of the basic freedoms of citizens (freedom of expression, assembly and association) that marked the previous period. As the protests continue until student demands are met, the report will be updated regularly.
Last updated on March 24, 2025.