Several thousand activists from across Serbia joined student-led protests in Novi Pazar on Sunday, demonstrating against what they describe as government pressure on state universities, according to a report by Reuters.
The protests are part of a broader movement opposing political interference in higher education and mark the first demonstrations of this kind in Novi Pazar, a city with a predominantly Bosniak, Muslim population, the British news agency noted.
Reuters recalled that the protests are among many that have taken place since the collapse of a canopy at the Novi Sad railway station last year, an incident that claimed the lives of 16 people and sparked widespread public outrage.
Student Demands and University Disputes
Students from Novi Pazar gained national attention earlier this year after walking for several days to join mass protests in Novi Sad on November 1, marking the first anniversary of the deadly incident.
According to Reuters, students now claim that university authorities revoked full-time student status for those who missed classes due to protests and dismissed dozens of lecturers. Protesters are demanding the resignation of the university’s governing board and the appointment of a new rector.
“This concerns everyone, not just Novi Pazar,” protester Dženana Ahmetović told Reuters.
Accusations Against the Government
The student-led protest movement—supported by professors and opposition figures—has accused Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and his populist nationalist party of fostering corruption, poor public services, nepotism, and restrictions on media freedom, Reuters reported.
Vučić and his party have denied all accusations.
Novi Pazar’s Social Context
Reuters highlighted that Novi Pazar is the youngest city in Serbia demographically, with around 60% of its mostly Muslim population under the age of 30. The agency also noted that no ethnic or religious clashes have been reported in the city since the breakup of Yugoslavia more than three decades ago.
