Mass Protests in Belgrade: Farmers, Bikers, and Students Unite Against President Vučić

Photograph: Armin Durgut/AP

A huge demonstration took place in Belgrade, marking the peak of over four months of protests led by students. This has become the most significant challenge to President Aleksandar Vučić in the 11 years of his increasingly autocratic rule. Tensions escalated as Vučić claimed that the protest was an “imported revolution” organized by western intelligence agencies, though he provided no evidence for these claims. Despite the president’s remarks, the protests against government corruption and incompetence have remained peaceful for the most part.

The Government's Response and Tensions Rise

In the lead-up to the protest, hundreds of government supporters gathered in Belgrade’s Pionirski Park, across from the Serbian parliament. Among the crowd were black-clad young men wearing baseball caps, some possibly linked to football hooligan groups and others veterans of the infamous Red Berets special forces, which was involved in the 2003 assassination of Serbia’s liberal prime minister Zoran Djindjić. A thick police cordon was set up to separate the government supporters from the protesters, who also gathered near Slavija Square. Tensions grew when protesters near the state broadcasting headquarters were told to move, as there were fears of an attack by a pro-government mob.

Photograph: Armin Durgut/AP

Disruptions and Show of Support from Across the Country

The state railway company canceled intercity trains for the day, a move seen as an attempt by Vučić to limit the size of the protests. Public transportation in Belgrade also faced disruptions, but this didn't stop long convoys of cars from traveling to the city in support of the student-led protests. Among the supporters were farmers driving tractors, signaling their support for the movement, as well as a large number of bikers joining in the demonstration.

International Reactions and Vučić's Claims

Both the European Union and the United Nations urged the government to respect the right to protest. Western governments have been cautious in their response to the protests, partly due to their desire to maintain good relations with Vučić and keep him from drifting further into Moscow's sphere of influence. Vučić, in turn, has sought to strengthen ties with figures like Donald Trump, even approving the construction of a Trump hotel in Belgrade. Recently, he gave an interview to Trump’s son, Don Jr., who echoed the Serbian government’s unfounded claims about foreign funding behind the protests.

The Trigger for the Protests

The protests began in response to a tragic incident on November 1, when a concrete canopy collapsed at a newly renovated railway station in Novi Sad, killing 15 people. The incident sparked public outrage, especially after it emerged that government officials tried to cover up the use of unsafe construction methods and potential corruption tied to the Chinese-led renovation.

Students, who have been the driving force of the protests, have focused on calls for better governance and the end of corrupt practices, demanding that state institutions function properly without the need for bribes or political connections. They have kept their distance from opposition parties, accusing them of complicity in the state’s failure to serve its citizens.