Protests in Belgrade: Hundreds of thousands demand enlightenment and change!

Protests in Belgrade: Hundreds of thousands demand enlightenment and change!

On March 15, 2025, Serbia experienced the largest wave of protests in its history when hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in Belgrade to demonstrate against corruption and mismanagement under President Aleksandar Vucic. The protest was sparked by the dramatic collapse of a newly renovated train station roof in Novi Sad, in which 15 people died. These tragic events led to nationwide outrage and intense calls for transparency and reform as the government refused to provide construction documents, even though the project cost had risen from the original 3.5 million euros to 15 million euros, as exxpress.at reported.

Despite the government's efforts to portray the protests as violent and create the impression that security was at risk, Saturday's main rally was largely peaceful. While some of Vucic's supporters threw stones at the demonstrators, there have been no serious incidents so far. Police reported the number of protesters at about 107,000, while students at Belgrade University estimated the number of participants at up to 800,000, the New York Times reported. This enormous mobilization culminated in a 15-minute silence in memory of the victims of the train station disaster.

Political consequences for President Vucic

President Vucic faced a direct backlash due to the massive pressure. In a media address, he described the number of participants as exaggerated, but suddenly announced the prospect of new elections. “We will have to change and learn a lot,” he explained, although independent observers assessed the growing discontent among the population as clearly visible. The protests are not only a reaction to the accident, but also a demand for structural reforms and a strengthening of the rule of law in Serbia.