Following violent incidents in Novi Sad last night, where students and journalists were attacked by supporters of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), protests were held across multiple cities in Serbia.
During the previous night’s protest, a Philosophy Faculty student in Novi Sad suffered a head injury, a journalist from Razglas News, Žarko Bogosavljević, was struck in the face and had his phone broken, and a female student was injured after hitting her head on concrete.
The “Index is for Students” protest saw at least three individuals attacked by SNS supporters outside the Serbian National Theatre, where a ceremonial event marked 200 years of the Serbian Literary Society.
In Belgrade, hundreds of students and citizens gathered near Ušće Park, where police in riot gear prevented them from approaching a section of the park planned for an aquarium. During the protests, participants threw pyrotechnics at police, resulting in brief chases. Several arrests were made.
Protests also occurred in Niš, Valjevo, Kraljevo, and Prokuplje, with citizens and students expressing solidarity with the victims from Novi Sad and condemning the attacks. Mila Đokić, a representative of the Niš Citizens’ Assembly, stated that police had failed to protect students during the violence, instead shielding the attackers.
Demonstrators chanted slogans such as “Your hands are bloody” and called for accountability for the attacks. Former Serbian President Boris Tadić condemned the violence, describing it as evidence of the “brutal character” of the Vučić government.
The protests highlighted growing tensions in Serbia over the treatment of students, freedom of assembly, and political violence by party supporters.
