On Sunday, parallel marches were held across Serbia, with government supporters rallying in response to the 10-month-long protests against President Aleksandar Vučić’s administration.
In cities such as Niš, Čačak, and Šabac, tensions arose between the two sides. Police intervened in Čačak after an incident was reported, while in Šabac, they separated the groups with a cordon to prevent clashes.
President Aleksandar Vučić, who joined the march in Borča, reiterated his call for dialogue. However, student protesters once again rejected his invitation for a televised debate, stating that they will only speak to him if he calls early elections and meets their demands.
On September 3, the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), led by Miloš Vučević, called on supporters to gather in 120 towns and cities. Sunday’s rallies followed student-led protests a day earlier, which were organized to condemn police violence against demonstrators in Novi Sad on September 5.
Student organizers urged citizens to avoid confrontation, warning:
“The government is staging artificial images of ‘the people’. It wants to provoke incidents. Let’s not fall victim to the show.”
In mid-August, ruling party supporters had even thrown fireworks at anti-government demonstrators.
The student movement—joined by thousands of citizens—has been ongoing for 10 months, sparked by the collapse of a concrete shelter in Novi Sad last November, which killed 16 people.
So far, 60 faculties across seven universities have been blocked in protest. While some have recently reopened, others remain shut.
Over time, the protesters’ demands have expanded, now including the call for snap elections. Vučić, however, has refused, insisting that students’ core demands have already been met.
