On March 23, 2025, around one hundred citizens gathered in protest near Kalenić Market in Belgrade, voicing their opposition to activists from the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) who had set up party stalls in the area.
As reported by Radio Free Europe (RFE) journalist from the scene, protesters chanted “Thieves, thieves” and created noise using whistles and vuvuzelas. Two groups were separated by a police cordon, and no major incidents have been reported thus far.
Among the SNS activists was Goran Karadžić, a former basketball player for the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, who appeared draped in the Serbian national flag and making the “three-finger” salute.
Protests also took place in Belgrade’s Zvezdara district, where SNS activists set up party stalls at the intersection of Veljka Dugoševića and Zvezdarske jelke streets. A police cordon separated the two groups there as well. During the protest, physical contact occurred when a protester pushed one of the SNS activists, but no significant altercations followed.
Protesters in Zvezdara chanted “Zvezdara won’t support you” and “Pack your bags.” At 11:52 AM, the protesters observed a moment of silence to honor the victims of the tragic incident in Novi Sad on November 1, 2024, where 16 people died, and one was severely injured due to a collapsed shelter.
Since that tragedy, mass protests have been taking place across Serbia, demanding criminal and political accountability. Students, who have been blocking over 60 universities nationwide since late November 2024, along with other citizens, have held multiple large-scale protests, with one of the largest taking place on March 15 in Belgrade.
Protests have also spread to smaller towns like Niš, Obrenovac, and Kraljevo, where local government officials have been targeted with eggs in protest.
