University students in Serbia have extended their blockade of Radio-Television of Serbia (RTS) facilities in Takovska Street and Košutnjak, demanding a new public competition for members of the Council of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM) reports RFE.
The blockade, which began on April 14, continued through the Orthodox Easter holidays, drawing support from students across Serbia, notably from Novi Pazar, and a number of supportive citizens.
Despite the holiday, students maintained a constant presence outside RTS buildings, underscoring their demand for media accountability and reform.
RTS Responds with Legal Action and Program Changes
In response to the ongoing blockade, RTS stated it has been forced to alter its programming schedule due to “difficult working conditions.” The broadcaster also filed a criminal complaint with the First Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade against unidentified organizers of the protest and has requested international institutions to intervene.
Currently, RTS is airing pre-recorded news segments without live studio anchors, often incorporating footage from other television stations.
RTS Employees Call for an End to the Blockade
A faction of RTS staff, organized under the initiative “Naš pRoTeSt”, issued a statement recognizing the public’s frustration with editorial decisions but called for an immediate end to the blockade. They emphasized the importance of allowing journalists and employees to work freely and reform the system from within.
“We urge both students and the critical public to direct their concerns toward those responsible for editorial decisions, not journalists and other employees who are fulfilling their duties with integrity,” the group stated.
They also condemned any threats to staff safety, such as the distribution of ‘wanted posters’, calling such tactics unethical and tabloid-like.
RTS is a national institution, the group added, built by generations and deserving of support in fulfilling its public mission today and in the future.
This standoff between youth-led civil resistance and public media leadership represents an ongoing struggle over media freedom, transparency, and democratic accountability in Serbia.
