Serbia Unrest Grows As Youth Clash With Loyalists Of President Vučić

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

BELGRADE (Worthy News) – Tensions remained high in Serbia’s capital Monday after opponents and loyalists of President Aleksandar Vučić clashed in Belgrade during a rally marking one year since the Novi Sad train-station collapse that killed 16 people.

Hundreds of riot police were deployed Sunday evening near the Serbian Parliament as youth-led protesters confronted pro-government demonstrators.

The confrontations came during a commemoration for victims of the November 2024 Novi Sad railway-station canopy collapse, one of the deadliest infrastructure disasters in Serbia’s recent history.

Novi Sad, Serbia’s second-largest city, lies about 90 kilometers (56 miles) northwest of Belgrade on the Danube River. It serves as the administrative center of Vojvodina Province, a region long regarded as a cultural and academic hub.

Opposition groups and students accuse the government of corruption, cronyism, and negligence, claiming that poor oversight and misused construction funds caused the collapse of the concrete roof that crushed passengers waiting on the platform.

Authorities have denied wrongdoing, but anger has mounted as the anniversary revived frustration over a year of anti-government protests demanding transparency, accountability, and early elections.

POLICE DEPLOYED

Police in riot gear were seen forming barricades between rival groups as demonstrators hurled bottles and flares. It was not immediately clear how many people had been injured in the clashes, though witnesses reported scuffles and several detentions.

The unrest followed a two-day youth march from Belgrade to Novi Sad, where tens of thousands gathered over the weekend to honor the victims and demand the resignation of officials linked to the reconstruction project.

Footage showed protesters shining mobile-phone lights for 16 minutes of silence — one for each victim — before chanting “Resign!” and “We remember!”

President Vučić, in power since 2012, condemned the violence, accusing opposition activists of “exploiting tragedy for politics.” His supporters claim the protests are manipulated by foreign interests seeking to destabilize Serbia.

However, human-rights observers and European diplomats say the demonstrations reflect growing discontent among Serbia’s youth over unemployment, media restrictions, and perceived government impunity.

The European Union, which Serbia hopes to join, has urged calm and respect for freedom of assembly.

RISING PRESSURE

Brussels also renewed calls for independent investigations into both the Novi Sad disaster and the police response to protests.

Analysts say the latest unrest underscores a widening divide between Vučić’s populist government and a generation of young Serbians demanding reform.

“This is about justice, dignity, and truth,” said one student leader, pledging that the movement would “continue peacefully until accountability is achieved.”

Christian leaders also urged restraint. The Serbian Orthodox Church’s Holy Synod issued a short statement Monday appealing for “peaceful dialogue, mutual respect, and repentance where injustice has occurred.”

Separately, Monsignor Ivan Pénzes, bishop of Subotica, told local media that society must “mourn together, seek the truth, and reject violence in word or deed.”

Both churches said they are praying for the victims’ families and for national reconciliation in what they described as a “time of pain and testing” for Serbia.

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