Instead of partying, thousands turn New Year celebration into anti-government protest in Serbia
Instead of traditional street partying on New Years Eve, tens of thousands of protesters led by university students have gathered overnight in Belgrade and other Serbian cities to demand political reforms and justice in the Balkan country
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Instead of the traditional boisterous street partying on New Years Eve, tens of thousands of protesters led by university students gathered overnight in Belgrade and other Serbian cities to demand political reforms and justice in the Balkan country.
The protesters have been actively demonstrating following the tragic collapse of a concrete canopy in the northern town of Novi Sad’s central train station on Nov. 1, which resulted in 15 fatalities.
The mishap has been attributed to corruption and substandard construction practices by the populist Serbian leadership, leading to widespread public outcry and demands for accountability.
Students from various Belgrade universities have organized the protest under the slogan “There is No New Year — You Still Owe Us for the Old One.”
The loud crowd, chanting “We Want Justice,” went silent at 11:52 p.m. with 15 minutes to honor the victims of the Novi Sad tragedy. Many were holding banners with a red handprint, which has become a symbol of the antigovernment protests, telling the authorities that they have blood on their hands.
Earlier, they marched past a state-sponsored concert where the crowd danced to folk music tunes. Police guarded the area where the concert was taking place and set up metal fences while directing the protesting crowd to other streets nearby to avoid contact between the two groups.
The antigovernment protesters emphasized that, despite the festive season, their commitment to seeking justice remains unwavering. The student-led movement has garnered support from various societal groups, including professors, farmers and actors, reflecting broader discontent with autocratic President Aleksandar Vucic 's leadership.
Thousands of people also gathered in Novi Sad and the southern city of Nis for parallel gatherings also led by university students in those cities.
In Belgrade, state-sponsored concerts and other New Year celebrations were organized in the city center and in a newly built high-rise Belgrade Waterfront neighborhood which Vucic has claimed is his own project together with the United Arab Emirates investors.
Belgrade has become a favorite partying destination for tourist on the New Years Eve celebrations with street partying and huge fireworks.
The crowds in Belgrade braved very cold weather and fog to join the students. The New Years Eve protest comes just over a week after tens of thousands rallied together with the students in what was one of the biggest gatherings in recent years in the Serbian capital.
Serbia’s public prosecutor on Monday indicted 13 people, including a former minister, over the collapse of the concrete canopy The protesters say that is not enough as the indictment does not include charges of possible corrupt deals during a renovation of the the Novi Sad train station that was part of a wider deal with Chinese companies.
Vucic earlier told pro-government Prva TV that all student demands have been fulfilled.
“I have always been ready to talk, I am asking them now but they won’t talk to me, they have no arguments, the prosecutors fulfilled the last of their demands, all documents they wanted have been published and nothing happened,” Vucic said, adding he won't be toppled by street protests.
___
Associated Press writer Jovana Gec contributed.