Several hundred citizens from various Belgrade municipalities gathered today in front of the Republic Electoral Commission (RIK) building in central Belgrade, demanding the scheduling of snap parliamentary elections.
The call for elections is one of the key demands of student-led protests that have swept across Serbia since the collapse of the Novi Sad Railway Station canopy in November 2024. These student groups have been advocating for government accountability regarding the accident.
At the protest in front of RIK, citizen assemblies also called on the authorities to “recognize the opposition’s victory” in the local elections in Kosjerić and to annul the election results in Zaječar. According to official results, the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) won the most votes in Zaječar on June 8, but the opposition claims significant electoral manipulation occurred.
“The pressure must continue,” a student from Zaječar stated at the Belgrade protest, adding that criminal charges have been filed against those who “participated in vote buying.”
A student from Kosjerić asserted that the SNS lost the elections in that town in western Serbia and that “citizens said what they thought.” Officially, the ruling SNS secured 14 council seats in Kosjerić, while the opposition list “United for Kosjerić” won 13.
The CRTA observation mission, in its preliminary report, assessed that the election day in Kosjerić was neither free nor fair. In Zaječar, CRTA stated that the results do not reflect the will of the citizens because severe irregularities were recorded at as many as 19 percent of polling stations.
Police Deployed Around Pioneer Park Amidst Counter-Protest
The protest by citizen assemblies and students, titled “The Circus Must Go,” is taking place near Pioneer Park, where a group of individuals opposing the protests and blockades has been camping since March.
Representatives of the assemblies called on authorities to remove the fences erected around the park and allow citizens free access. Police were deployed around Pioneer Park before the protest, and the group from the improvised camp was observed playing nationalistic songs through loudspeakers.
