Tensions are rising again in Serbia as students have launched a full-scale blockade of Radio-Television Serbia (RTS) in protest against biased media coverage and a lack of institutional accountability. The move follows President Aleksandar Vučić’s massive pro-government rally, where he declared the so-called “color revolution” to be over.
For over 40 hours, student groups have maintained a complete lockdown of RTS headquarters in Takovska Street, preventing employees from entering the building. They have also blocked RTV Vojvodina in Novi Sad and portions of central Kraljevo. Protesters are demanding either radical reform of public broadcasters or their complete shutdown, accusing them of long-standing manipulation and disservice to the public.
A massive banner reading “Studentska radio televizija” now drapes RTS’s front steps, while supporters bring food, water, and supplies to the demonstrators.
The protests have triggered a visible counter-response. In Pionirski Park, near Serbia’s National Assembly, a group of pro-regime youths known as “ćaci” has re-emerged, setting up new tents in what critics are calling “Ćaciland 2.0.” Ostensibly representing students who claim to want to study in peace, the group is widely believed to be mobilized by government allies to undermine and delegitimize the protests.
Police, under the command of Ivica Dačić, intervened early Tuesday, allowing RTS employees to enter through a side passage next to a fast-food shop. Later, two men were arrested near the counter-protest camp for disturbing public order, including possession of a metal knuckle-duster and public intoxication.
While it remains uncertain how the situation will evolve, the presence of parallel protest groups and increased police involvement has turned the center of Belgrade into a political pressure cooker—with fears of further escalation growing by the hour.
