Serbia witnessed one of the largest protests in its history on March 15, as tens of thousands gathered in the capital’s city center, rallying in support of students demanding accountability for last year’s Novi Sad tragedy.
According to EWB, the protest took a dramatic turn around 19:00 when an unknown device was activated, abruptly dispersing peaceful demonstrators. Students accused the authorities of deploying a “sonic cannon” — a long-range acoustic device that experts claim is illegal.
“Just to be clear, the regime turned on a sonic cannon (a weapon banned in a huge number of countries that can cause permanent damage and trauma) during 15 minutes of silence for the 15 dead. There you go,” read a post by the Faculty of Organizational Sciences’ student group.
The Serbian Ministry of Interior denied the allegations, stating to N1 that no such device was used, as its deployment would violate Serbian law.
Unfulfilled Demands and Continued Protests
Students continue to demand the release of full documentation regarding the reconstruction of the Novi Sad railway station, whose canopy collapsed last November, killing 15 people. They also seek accountability for the attacks on students during earlier protests.
While the students have not specified their next steps, they have vowed to keep protesting and blocking universities until their demands are met.
According to official figures from the Ministry of Interior, the protest drew 107,000 participants — the largest number recorded for any protest in recent years. However, many attendees claimed the real number was much higher.
Peaceful March, Isolated Incidents
The protest marked the culmination of months-long demonstrations, starting in Novi Sad on February 1, followed by Kragujevac on February 15 and Niš on March 1. Students from these cities undertook days-long marches to Belgrade, where they were welcomed by cheering crowds on Friday evening.
Though largely peaceful, minor incidents occurred near Pioneer Park toward the end of the protest. According to student organizers, “rocks and bottles were thrown from the Pioneer Park,” where groups allegedly tied to the ruling party had gathered.
In another incident, a man was physically assaulted by a group of unidentified individuals and taken away by ambulance. No arrests have been made.
Students announced the end of the protest shortly after, emphasizing their desire to avoid association with any violence.
