Thousands gathered outside the University of Belgrade on Tuesday to protest the government’s crackdown on academics who have become central to sustained demonstrations against President Aleksandar Vucic’s rule. The rally, held on a national day of education and dubbed “Knowledge is Power,” was organized in support of professors and teachers who have lost their jobs for participating in anti-government protests.
The demonstrations represent the most sustained wave of opposition in Serbia for years, sparked by the November 2024 collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad that killed 16 people. Many Serbs have attributed the disaster to alleged corruption and disregard for safety rules during renovation work.
Vladan Djokic, head dean of the University of Belgrade, addressed thousands gathered outside the university’s headquarters, describing the government’s treatment of academics as unprecedented in the nation’s history.
“No government in our history has treated members of the academic community with such arrogance, vengeance and malice and only because the academic community refused to be silent,” Djokic said.
The gathering reflected escalating pressure on Serbia’s academic institutions as they have become central to a broader protest movement that has shaken President Vucic’s grip on power. The original trigger was the November 2024 collapse of a concrete railway station canopy in the northern city of Novi Sad, which killed 16 people. Many Serbs blamed the disaster on alleged corruption and a disregard for safety rules during renovation work on the building.
A Protest Movement Grows
That initial tragedy has catalyzed the most sustained wave of opposition to Vucic’s government in years. Hundreds of thousands have participated in demonstrations across Serbia. Vucic has refused protesters’ demands for an immediate early election and instead has escalated pressure against the movement and those participating in it.
Government Crackdowns and Intimidation
Days before the Belgrade rally, riot police evicted protesting students from a faculty building in Novi Sad, forcing dozens of students out of the building in what observers characterized as a show of force. Some of the students accused the police of violence during the eviction.
Djokic also cited financial and legal pressure from the government on universities. Officials and pro-government media outlets have described protesting professors and students as “terrorists,” a characterization he said was meant to intimidate the academic community.
Earlier Tuesday, several faculties in Belgrade suspended classes for the day in solidarity with the broader protests.
International Scrutiny and Contradictions
Serbia has faced international criticism over reports of excessive force and arbitrary detentions of protesters. President Vucic is formally pursuing Serbia’s entry into the European Union while simultaneously strengthening ties with Russia and China—moves that observers note are occurring as international monitors report the government is clamping down on democratic freedoms.