2024–present Serbian anti-corruption protests

2024–present Serbian anti-corruption protests
2024–present Serbian anti-corruption protests
Part of the third wave of autocratization
	Protestors gather up at Slavija Square in Belgrade on 22 December 2024
Date	3 November 2024 – present; (7 months, 2 weeks and 3 days)
Location	Serbia Serbian diaspora;
Caused by	Novi Sad railway station canopy collapse; Government corruption; Media censorship; State capture; Authoritarian government; Political violence; Excessive force by police;
Goals	Justice for victims of the railway station collapse; Accountability for government negligence; Resignation of Goran Vesić and several other senior state officials; Students' goals: Publishing of all documents related to the reconstruction of the Novi Sad railway station; Confirmation from the authorities on the identity of all individuals for whom there is reasonable suspicion of physically assaulting students and professors, as well as initiating criminal proceedings against them; Dismissal of all public officials who assaulted students and professors; The dismissal of criminal charges against arrested and detained students at protests, as well as the termination of already initiated criminal proceedings; An increase in the budget for higher education by 20 percent; Investigation regarding the possible use of a sonic weapon (since April 5); Investigation regarding the responsibility of the president and journalists being present at ICU after Kočani nightclub fire (since April 7); Snap parliamentary elections (since May 5); Government response: False compliance; Cosmetic arrests; Scapegoating; Surveillance; Political dismissal; Mobility restrictions; Information blackout and media monopolisation; Counter-rallies; Exceeding authority; Astroturfing; Intimidation; Lawfare; Selective enforcement;
Methods	Demonstrations; Traffic blockades; Civil disobedience; Occupation; General strike; Peace walks;
Status	Ongoing
Concessions	Resignation of Goran Vesić; Resignation of Jelena Tanasković; Resignation of Tomislav Momirović; Resignation of Damir Zobenica; Resignation of Milan Đurić; Resignation of Miloš Vučević; Some of the documents related to the reconstruction of the Novi Sad railway station published; Budget for higher education increased by 20%;
Parties
Anti-corruption protesters Students; Education workers; Actors and filmmakers; Artists and cultural workers; Farmers; Lawyers; Healthcare workers; Citizens; War veterans; Bikers; Bus drivers; Miners; Trade Unions; Senior citizens; Support: Serbian parliamentary opposition and activists; International support: Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats; Greens/European Free Alliance; Renew Europe; European United Left/Nordic Green Left; DiEM25;	Government of Serbia Police of Serbia Gendarmery; ; Security Intelligence Agency; Government parties Serbian Progressive Party (SNS)-led coalition; Socialist Party of Serbia-United Serbia coalition (SPS-JS); Other parties SNS-affiliated thugs; JSO veterans; Serbian far-right organizations Serbian Radical Party (SRS); Serbian Party Oathkeepers (SSZ); ; Foreign support: Republika Srpska; Russia; Belarus; United States; China; Hungary; Slovakia;
Lead figures
	No centralized students' union leadership; Aleksandar Vučić; Miloš Vučević; Đuro Macut (from 16 April 2025); Ana Brnabić; Aleksandar Šapić; Aleksandar Vulin; Maja Gojković; Ivica Dačić; Milica Đurđević Stamenkovski; Vladimir Orlić; Dejan Vuk Stanković (from 16 April 2025); Andrej Vučić; Vladimir Đukanović; Milorad Dodik;
Number
355,000+ in Belgrade; 100,000 in Novi Sad; 15,000 in Niš; 15,000+ in Kraljevo; On Sretenje:; 169,000 in Kragujevac	17,000 alleged "loyalists" (claimed by Vučić); 14,000 in Jagodina; 21,000–23,000 in Sremska Mitrovica; 55,000 in Belgrade
Casualties and losses
At least 5 protesters injured	5 policemen injured

In November 2024, mass protests erupted in Novi Sad after the collapse of the city's railway station canopy, which killed 16 people and left one severely injured. By March 2025, the protests had spread to 400 cities and towns across Serbia and were ongoing. Led by university students, the protests call for accountability for the disaster.

The protests began with student-led blockades of educational institutions, starting on 22 November at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts after students were attacked during a silent tribute to the victims of the 1 November collapse. Other faculties and high schools soon joined in. Protesters also stage daily "Serbia, stop" (Serbian Cyrillic: Застани, Србијо, romanized: Zastani, Srbijo) traffic blockades from 11:52 am to 12:08 pm—the time of the collapse—symbolizing the 16 lives lost, accompanied with silent protest. As well as daily protests, several large-scale student protests were organized, in the university centers Novi Sad (1 February), Kragujevac (15 February), Niš (1 March) and Belgrade (22 December and 15 March). Other protest actions were staged, including walking protests, a protest biking race from Belgrade to Strasbourg, and the blockade of the Radio Television of Serbia that severely disrupted their programs.

As of April 2025, most of the public and many private universities remain in student-led blockades, as are many high schools.