The protesters were demanding early elections and the resignation of President Aleksandar Vučić and his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS).
Thousands gathered at the state university campus, holding banners reading, “We don’t want blockades, we want elections” and “Students have one urgent demand: Call elections,” while chanting, “Vučić, leave.”
Protesters clashed with police, throwing flares, while officers used tear gas and stun grenades to push back the crowd.
Nationwide protests began after a renovated railway station roof collapsed in Novi Sad in November 2024, killing 16 people.
The protests remained largely peaceful until Aug. 13, when clashes injured dozens of civilians and police officers.
Students, opposition groups, and anti-corruption organizations have accused Vučić and his allies of ties to organized crime, violence against political rivals, and suppressing media freedoms.
“The solution is to call elections,” said protester Nebojša Korač.
“On our side, we want peace and democracy to prevail, and for political institutions to do their job. That means calling elections, and that will be the solution, because the government will change.”
Protests in Serbia
On Nov. 1, 2024, a section of the Novi Sad railway station’s exterior canopy collapsed, killing 16 people.
On Dec. 25, 2024, hundreds of students protested against Vučić’s policies and the SNS.
On Aug. 17, 2025, protesters in Valjevo clashed with police and attempted to set fire to an SNS office. The main demand remains the dissolution of parliament and early parliamentary elections.