{"id":83,"date":"2026-05-22T06:08:28","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T06:08:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=83"},"modified":"2026-05-22T06:08:28","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T06:08:28","slug":"serbias-protesting-students-renew-pressure-on-vucic-with-a-big-weekend-rally","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=83","title":{"rendered":"Serbia\u2019s protesting students renew pressure on Vucic with a big weekend rally"},"content":{"rendered":"
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BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) \u2014 Serbia<\/span> \u2019s protesting university students are gearing up this weekend for their first big rally of the year, in a renewed push for major political changes in the Balkan country run by the authoritarian President Aleksandar Vucic<\/span>. <\/p>\n

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Thousands of people are expected to gather on Saturday from all over Serbia in the capital, Belgrade. <\/p>\n

Serbia\u2019s youth movement was behind a wave of mass anti-corruption street protests<\/span> that shook Vucic last year<\/span>. Now, students say their sights are set on approaching elections later this year or next that they hope would oust Vucic\u2019s right-wing populist government.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe hope a lot of people will come and spend the day with us, and then continue to support the students because we are preparing for the elections,\u201d youth representative Isidora Jovanovic told The Associated Press. \u201cSerbia needs a change, and students will bring that change.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

The venue on Saturday will be Belgrade\u2019s Slavija Square, the scene of a huge anti-government protest last March. That rally ended in a sudden disruption that experts later said \u2014 and the government denied \u2014 involved the use of a sonic weapon<\/span> against peaceful demonstrators. <\/p>\n

Police at the square on Tuesday separated Vucic\u2019s loyalists from the students who were printing their \u201cStudents win\u201d slogans. Days earlier, an elderly man<\/span> was injured when a driver broke up a traffic blockade in central Belgrade.<\/p>\n

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A number of other incidents have taken place in previous months, including violence that marred a local election in March. <\/p>\n

Jovanovic said organizers will do all they can to make sure there are no incidents, especially because a lot of people will come from across Serbia. The students \u201ddon\u2019t want any of them (citizens) to leave with a bad feeling or injuries.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

From anti-corruption protests to a political force<\/h2>\n

Launched in response to a train station tragedy that killed 16 people<\/span> in northern Serbia in November 2024, the student movement blocked faculties for months in 2025, forcing the resignation of then-Prime Minister Milos Vucevic and his government. <\/p>\n

The protesters said that wasn\u2019t enough, and demanded early elections, which Vucic has not called yet. <\/p>\n

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The quest for accountability over the concrete canopy crash at the Novi Sad station resonated widely among the public because many believed the tragedy was the result of deeply rooted corruption and negligence in state infrastructure projects. <\/p>\n

Dusan Vucicevic, a professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences, said the youth movement has since grown into a political player backed by a large number of people. Students, he said, can count on an \u201cexcellent result\u201d in a future ballot.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe finally have a political group that can challenge the (ruling) Serbian Progressive Party and Aleksandar Vucic,\u201d Vucicevic told the AP. <\/p>\n

Vucic has pushed hard against the protesters. Pro-government media have branded his critics as terrorists and foreign agents who wish to destroy the country \u2014 a rhetoric that has ramped up political divisions. <\/p>\n

The president\u2019s loyalists will likely on Saturday fill a park camp outside the presidency building that he set up last March, apparently as a shield against protesters. Several attacks on protesters and journalists were reported around the camp in the past.<\/p>\n

Reports of police use of excessive force and arbitrary detentions of protesters have sparked international scrutiny. Serbia\u2019s democratic backsliding could cost the country around 1.5 billion euros ($1.8 billion) in European Union funding<\/span> for membership candidate nations. <\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

A new generation of students say they are joining <\/h2>\n

Branislav Vasic and Filip Novakovic, freshmen at Belgrade\u2019s Faculty of Political Sciences, told the AP they too will be at the rally on Saturday. The 19-year-olds said joining their older colleagues in protests is an imperative.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone should go to the rally out of principle because of the situation,\u201d Vasic said. He is convinced that \u201dthere is the strength for change as long as people want it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Novakovic believes that \u201cwe are together in this, one step away from a better future.\u201d This generation, he said, has a historic chance to carry out the changes previous generations could not.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI will keep trying as long as I live, he said. \u201dThis struggle is a long one.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Serbia\u2019s university students are gearing up for a major rally this weekend, pushing for political changes under President Aleksandar Vucic. Thousands are expected to gather in Belgrade on Saturday. The youth movement, which led anti-corruption protests last year, is now focused on upcoming elections. Students hope to challenge Vucic’s government. The rally will take place at Slavija Square, a previous protest site. Organizers aim to avoid incidents, especially with participants from across Serbia. The movement began after a deadly train station incident in 2024, evolving into a significant political force. Students believe they have a chance to bring change.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":82,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-83","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"yoast_head":"\nSerbia\u2019s protesting students renew pressure on Vucic with a big weekend rally - Top Moving Pros<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=83\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Serbia\u2019s protesting students renew pressure on Vucic with a big weekend rally - Top Moving Pros\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Serbia\u2019s university students are gearing up for a major rally this weekend, pushing for political changes under President Aleksandar Vucic. 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