Residents of Novi Sad gathered outside the Banovina building on Thursday evening to mark one year since violent clashes between citizens, supporters of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and police during protests in the city.
The gathering began at around 7 p.m., with protesters blocking the intersection on Bulevar Mihajla Pupina. Student groups, local assemblies and veterans were among those attending, while traffic police were deployed in the area.
The protesters planned to march through Stražilovska Street, Maksima Gorkog and Bulevar oslobođenja before continuing toward Ulica Novosadskog sajma.
“We are not standing because we have nowhere to go. We are standing because we know what we stand for,” the Novi Sad assemblies said ahead of the gathering.
The protest marks one year since clashes erupted on August 13, 2025, outside the SNS offices in Stražilovska Street and later along Bulevar oslobođenja. Police and the Gendarmerie intervened as demonstrators and SNS supporters confronted each other.
According to local reports, SNS supporters, protected by police and Gendarmerie cordons, fired pyrotechnics toward protesters. Several people were injured during the incidents, including members of the Serbian military’s special-purpose military police unit known as the “Cobras” (Kobre).
The events also drew attention after a member of the Kobre fired a shot into the air during the confrontation. The incident raised questions about the presence and role of the military unit at the SNS premises during the political protest.
A series of arrests followed the clashes. On August 19 and 20, 2025, protesters subsequently blocked the building housing judicial institutions in Novi Sad in response to the arrests.
Thursday’s gathering comes amid continuing student-led and civic protests in Serbia, with participants using the anniversary to renew demands for accountability over violence and the conduct of state institutions during demonstrations.
