Serbia is witnessing one of the most powerful civic uprisings in years, as thousands of students and citizens march from Belgrade to Novi Sad despite widespread fear, intimidation, and even bomb threats scenes that have shaken Aleksandar Vučić’s increasingly fragile regime.
The massive march, organized in memory of the victims of the tragic canopy collapse at the Novi Sad railway station, has evolved into a symbolic act of defiance against government repression, corruption, and indifference.
Bomb Threats and Suspicious Disruptions
At around noon, train traffic between Belgrade and Novi Sad was abruptly suspended after reports of bombs on board an incident that many see as an attempt by the authorities to sabotage the peaceful march. Tickets for the route suddenly became unavailable on the Serbian Railways website, while the call center remained unreachable.
For many, this pattern is all too familiar. Similar “anonymous threats” have repeatedly emerged whenever large anti-government gatherings are organized, raising serious suspicions about whether the regime is weaponizing fear to disrupt civic movements.
Citizens Step In Where Institutions Fail
Despite the regime’s obstruction, ordinary citizens are providing the support that institutions refuse to give. In the town of Inđija, locals offered food, water, mattresses, and shelter to thousands of students after schools were ordered closed for overnight stays—a move seen as another deliberate act of state hostility.
Even so, only about 50 protesters were forced to sleep under the open sky, while the majority found refuge with local families. In an atmosphere of solidarity and resistance, residents lit fireworks and torches, greeting the walkers with chants of “Inđija! Pumpaj! Whoever doesn’t jump is a coward!”
Students Show More Dignity Than the Government
From Niš, Čačak, and Zrenjanin, waves of young people joined the march—many carrying Serbian flags and university banners, singing and drumming as they crossed towns and villages. They were joined by cyclists, including a six-year-old boy and a seventy-year-old veteran rider, embodying a national movement of unity and courage that starkly contrasts the cowardice of the country’s leadership.
In Novi Sad, students from “Jovan Jovanović Zmaj” high school announced a class boycott, accusing the administration of hypocrisy and neglect. “They ignore the professors’ demands and our grief,” their statement read. “We will not stay silent.”
A Regime Cornered by Its Own People
Observers say the march has become a symbol of moral resistance to Vučić’s authoritarian rule—one that uses fear, propaganda, and even fabricated threats to suppress public dissent.
For many Serbs, this event is no longer just about mourning the victims of a tragedy—it’s about confronting a regime that treats human lives and dignity with contempt.
As one marcher told the independent outlet Nova.rs: “We’re walking to remember the victims, but also to remind Vučić that Serbia belongs to its people, not to his cronies and his propaganda machine.”
The message is clear: no amount of intimidation, fake bomb alerts, or bureaucratic sabotage can stop a nation that has decided to walk for truth and justice.
