Students and citizens across Serbia launched coordinated traffic blockades in major cities on Friday as part of the “Total Blockade of Serbia” campaign, demanding early elections and protesting what they describe as police brutality and government repression.
Protests erupted in the early hours, with roads blocked in Novi Sad at 6:00 a.m., in Čačak at 6:30, and in Belgrade, Niš, Kragujevac and Novi Pazar from 7:00 a.m. Demonstrators called on the public to join them in opposing recent police crackdowns, vowing, “You will not trample us.”
Student groups behind the action urged citizens to avoid confrontation with police and to remain in large groups, warning that if riot units appear, protesters should disperse and regroup elsewhere. Organizers also instructed participants to allow ambulances, children, pregnant women, and food and medicine deliveries to pass through.
The Ministry of Interior warned that any unlawful blockade would be met with “all necessary measures” to maintain public order. “We urge everyone to preserve peace and stability. Legal action will be taken against anyone violating the law,” the ministry said in a statement.
President Aleksandar Vučić issued a direct appeal to students, calling on them to abandon the protests. “Do not destroy Serbia,” Vučić said in a video message posted on Instagram. “We want to allow every freedom of assembly and expression, but the state cannot and must not allow this type of violence. Otherwise, it ceases to be a state.”
“I beg you, reconsider. Serbia is a serious and responsible country—and it will remain so,” Vučić added.
In Belgrade, dozens of students and citizens blocked an intersection near the Law Faculty shortly after 7:00 a.m., according to local media. Protesters used metal barricades and whistles to disrupt traffic, while drivers caught in the blockade turned around to avoid the disruption.
Two men were arrested without explanation as police moved in on one of the protest sites.
Demonstrations in Serbia have been ongoing since November 1, 2024, when a roof collapse at the Novi Sad railway station killed 16 people. Protesters blame government corruption and negligence for the tragedy.
The current wave of protests intensified over the past week, with demonstrators demanding snap elections, the release of detained protesters, and the dismantling of a makeshift pro-government student camp in Belgrade’s Pionirski Park.
Lawyers have offered free legal aid to those arrested, while human rights groups warn that tensions are rising as the government weighs further action.
Protest organizers say they will continue until their demands are met.