Student Natalija Stepanović of the Faculty of Dramatic Arts (FDU) opened the final pre-election rally of the Students’ List at Slavija Square in Belgrade, telling thousands of gathered citizens that their struggle could mark the beginning of historic change in Serbia.
At the start of her speech, Stepanović reflected on the transformation of Slavija Square, noting that the area was once largely a marshland before becoming one of Belgrade’s major meeting points.
She recalled that plans to build a Belgrade opera house at the location had once failed, while Serbia’s first McDonald’s restaurant was eventually opened there towards the end of the 20th century.
Stepanović also described Slavija as a place where people from across the city have gathered for decades. She referred to four previous occasions when students and citizens had assembled at the square during their ongoing movement.
“We first met at Slavija exactly 22 months ago, in December 2024, when the student struggle was barely a month old,” she said.
She stressed that students and citizens had stood side by side for almost two years, united by their demands and their shared struggle.
Addressing the crowd, Stepanović said that fear, pressure and injustice would eventually pass, while the people and their collective efforts would remain part of the country’s history.
“And today, for the fifth time, we are all at Slavija. Once again, we see you, dear and good people. It is almost difficult for us to accept that in three days we must win, but we have to break out of the circle of history,” she said.
“Those three days will pass, as will fear, blackmail, injustice and tyrants, as they always do. But the people of this country will never pass,” Stepanović added.
She concluded by expressing hope that future generations would remember the gathering as a turning point for Serbia.
“In 150 years, someone will tell someone else about the place where we stand today: ‘They were here, and this is where change began!’” she said.
The rally was held ahead of the upcoming elections, with the Students’ List seeking support for its political challenge to the current establishment.
