Thousands of students and civil rights activists have taken to the streets of Novi Pazar, southwestern Serbia, in a powerful show of resistance against alleged government interference in state universities, marking the town’s first major student-led protest in a rapidly growing nationwide movement.
The protest forms part of wider demonstrations sweeping across Serbia, driven by accusations of political meddling in education, entrenched corruption, nepotism, and growing restrictions on media freedom—claims consistently denied by President Aleksandar Vučić and his ruling populist nationalist government.
Protesters marched through the town carrying flags from different cities and universities, blowing whistles and chanting slogans as they demanded the resignation of the university’s managing board, the installation of an interim leadership, and the election of a new rector free from political influence.
In a solemn moment during the rally, demonstrators observed a minute of silence in honour of the 16 victims of last year’s deadly railway station roof collapse in Novi Sad, a tragedy that has become a rallying symbol for broader anti-corruption protests across the country.
Participants travelled long distances to join the demonstration, with Momcilo Zelenbaba, who came from Jagodina, stating that students were stripped of their academic status and dozens of professors lost their jobs as a result of political decisions imposed from above.
Another protester, Dzenana Ahmetovic, said the demonstration was meant to send a clear message that the fight goes beyond Novi Pazar, insisting that the survival and independence of universities concern the entire nation.
Novi Pazar, known for having Serbia’s youngest population and a majority Muslim demographic, has remained largely peaceful since the breakup of Yugoslavia more than three decades ago, making the scale and intensity of the protest particularly significant.
The rally remained peaceful, drawing support from academics, opposition figures, and civil society groups, as Serbia’s student movement continues to gather momentum amid rising public anger over governance, accountability, and democratic freedoms.
Insta Bullets will continue to spotlight global resistance movements and expose state interference in education and civil liberties—no matter the country.
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