Sonja Ponjavić, a student at the Faculty of Law in Belgrade, was brutally struck on the sidewalk erstwhile the driver of a Ford Fiesta hit her. She was carried on the roof of the car before being thrown headfirst onto the asphalt. The driver then fled the scene of the accident. Another student was seriously injured after being struck on the head with a baseball bat—an incidental that profoundly shocked Serbian Prime Minister Miloš Vučević, who resigned the following day. Novi Sad’s mayor, Milan Đurić, besides stepped down alongside him.
Pavlović, a 20-year-old first-year law student, like all the another students, they were part of the protesters who, over the past 2 months, gathered regular to block traffic in Belgrade and another Serbian cities for 15 minutes.This act served both as a protest and a tribute to the victims of the horrific tragedy that occurred on November 1st, erstwhile the collapse of a canopy at the Novi Sad railway station claimed the lives of 15 people, including 2 young girls and their grandfather.
Sonja is presently in a unchangeable condition, though she has sustained severe head and brain injuries. It is inactive unclear erstwhile she will be discharged from the hospital, although the country’s president, Aleksandar Vučić, has expressed his wishes for her speedy recovery. In respective public addresses since the student blockades and protests began, president Vučić has repeatedly emphasized that individuals who hit students with their cars – an event that occurs frequently during these blockades – are almost justified in doing so. He has argued that citizens in vehicles, incapable to pass due to the students blocking the streets, have the right to scope their destinations. Vučić besides claimed that these students, in his view, are aiming to destruct the country of Serbia. It is worth noting that the president of Serbia has appeared on regime-affiliated tv channels almost all day. He has been on these stations more than 340 times in a single year. He discusses all issue, assuming authority in areas well beyond his presidential duties.
Photo: Faculty of Dramatic Arts, University of Arts in Belgrade
The collapse of the canopy of a renovated railway station in Novi Sad
In 1 of his fresh addresses, commenting on the fresh events, Vučić stated: “They want to usage the youth. They want to deceive us and seize power without going through elections. I will never let this, you fools. As long as I’m alive, there will be no transitional government.” This was directed at the opposition, whom he labelled as a group of donkeys, losers and good-for-nothings.
The protests by Serbian students, which have led to the business of over 60 university faculties across Serbia (out of a full of around 80), began on November 22nd. On that day, in front of the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, a group of individuals attacked and assaulted students who had gathered to observe a 15-minute silence in memory of the 15 lives lost.
During the commemoration, the students were physically attacked by individuals linked to the Serbian Progressive Party, the dominant political group supporting president Aleksandar Vučić. As the police failed to intervene, the students decided to occupy the faculty, interrupting all academic activities.
In the following days, students from Belgrade, Novi Sad and another cities joined the protest, demanding accountability from the institutions involved. Specifically, they called on the authorities, especially the State Prosecutor, to prosecute those liable for the attacks on students and to release the papers related to the reconstruction of the railway station.
The students besides demanded transparency regarding how and where the 65 million euros allocated for the station’s reconstruction were spent. The works were awarded to a consortium of 2 Chinese companies: “China Railway International” and “China Communications Construction”.
More than 2 months after the incidental in Novi Sad, not all those liable have been identified. 2 ministers have resigned, 1 of whom was briefly arrested but released shortly afterward. These events have only fuelled public scepticism about the integrity of the investigations.
“In a democratic country, after a tragic event in which 15 lives were lost and 2 others were seriously injured, it would be the State Prosecutor who would explain how the investigation will proceed,” says Miodrag Jovanović, a prof. at the Faculty of Law in Belgrade and 1 of the promoters of the “ProGlas” initiative (Proclamation). This initiative mobilized citizens critical of the government to participate in the parliamentary elections on December 17th last year.
The day after the collapse, president Vučić intervened, stating that the canopy of the Novi Sad station had not been renovated. This is unlike the remainder of the railway station, which had undergone restoration works. However, a year earlier, the erstwhile mayor of Novi Sad and current prime minister, Miloš Vučević, had claimed that the railway station had been full renovated. This message was echoed by the president himself during the authoritative inauguration of the station in March 2022.
“If the State Prosecutor started doing their job, what the students are asking for would bring an end to Vučić’s government, as both he and his ministers should be prosecuted,” added prof. Jovanovič, stating that this time it is the students who are leading the protests, without the engagement of the opposition.
Photo: Faculty of Dramatic Arts, University of Arts in Belgrade
“You will not crush us. Serbia is our country”
After the tragic incidental in which Sonja Ponjavić was run over, students from all faculties presently active in the blockade, along with another citizens, headed to the building of RTS, the state tv channel, with around 50,000 participants.
“Belgrade is the world” and “You will not crush us” have been any of the banners waved during the regular street blockades. Among the various banners displayed by the students, many featured red handprints, a clear symbol accusing the authorities of having blood on their hands. To express their dissatisfaction with the censorship and deficiency of coverage of the events in Serbia by public service media, the students gathered in front of the RTS building. However, any employees of the station came out that evening holding a banner that read: “RTS workers are with the students.”
“We will not back down from our demands; we insist that the applicable institutions do their job. We will stay in blockade until our demands are met,” said Barbara Alija and Milica Ivković, students at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade. They added that the more the authorities ignore their demands, the more fiercely they will respond.
“We don’t have leaders; we are decentralized in our organization. At our faculties, we hold plenums all day to decide on our next steps. We don’t want any interference from the opposition or another political parties. This is our fight and our country, in which we want to stay and live,” said 2 students.
Every year, Serbia loses a number of citizens equivalent to the population of the city of Kragujevac, which has around 140,000 inhabitants. The students, who have yet risen up and decided to change the society they live in – 1 that is dominated by corruption, ideological uniformity, and the Serbian Progressive organization (SNS) – are challenging a strategy rooted in the past. The SNS has its origins in the 90s and traces its roots to the extremist organization of Vojislav Šešelj, 1 of the key figures who contributed to the outbreak of war and the breakup of Yugoslavia.
Photo: Faculty of Dramatic Arts, University of Arts in Belgrade
The largest student protests since 1968
The incidental in Novi Sad marks yet another event in fresh years that has sparked widespread anger among citizens against Vučić’s government. erstwhile again, Serbs have taken to the streets to request transparency about what happened.
This time, the protests are being led by students, who are gaining expanding support all day – even from those who may have previously supported Vučić. Marshal Tito erstwhile said that “Students are always right,” and this was in 1968, during the large wave of student demonstrations that affected Yugoslavia and wider Europe.
“Although he may want to emulate Marshal Tito, the Serbian president has lost contact with reality. For the first time in his 12 years in power, he finds himself in a situation where his counterpart refuses to engage in direct dialog with him. This drives him mad, and no 1 can foretell how it will end,” says prof. Stojanović, a historian at the Faculty of doctrine in Belgrade. He adds that what is happening in Serbia represents a turning point, with a fresh generation forcefully and resolutely making its voice heard.
The challenge facing Vučić and his institutions is not just political, but moral. The legitimacy of Belgrade’s power can no longer be taken for granted, and young Serbs are unwilling to stay silent in the face of a future that promises only marginalization and hopelessness.
The protests continue
On Friday, January 24, Serbia came to a standstill due to a general strike organized by students and supported by many citizens. The initiative sparked a massive act of civilian disobedience across the country.
Later, on Monday, January 27, protesters blocked “Autokomanda”, the most crucial and heavy trafficked intersection in Belgrade, for 24 hours. Students besides announced further protests in the coming days, determined to proceed until their demands are met.
The ongoing protests show that Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić is now at a crossroads – either he suppresses a so-far peaceful demonstration, risking further unpopularity, or he full gives in to the demands of the streets, beginning the door to an irreversible government change.
Tatjana Đorđević is the president of the abroad Press Association in Milan and a journalist, writing for Al Jazeera Balkans, BBC News, Portal Novosti and La Stampa.
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