site.btaProtests Held in Several Serbian Cities on Wednesday after Police Operation in University of Novi Sad

Protests were held in several Serbian cities on Wednesday evening following a violent police operation at a university in the northern city of Novi Sad, according to posts on social media. Earlier in the day, the building of the University of Novi Sad's Faculty of Philosophy was blocked by students in protest against the dismissal of Prof. Jelena Kleut. The students said they “would not move from their positions” until Kleut was reinstated. At around 4 p.m. CEST, police, called in by the dean of the faculty, arrived and forcibly removed the students and lecturers.

The students announced that their protest would continue, as they believe Prof. Kleut lost her job because of her active support for the anti-government protests that have been ongoing for more than a year.

Over the past year, mass anti-government protests led by students have been held across Serbia, triggered by an incident in Novi Sad on November 1, 2024, when the concrete canopy of a recently renovated railway station collapsed, killing 16 people and seriously injuring one. Following the Novi Sad tragedy, protests by citizens and political activists began, while students blocked more than 60 faculties across the country. The protests, which have been ongoing for more than a year and are led by students, have turned into mass demonstrations centred on anti-corruption demands, calling for those responsible to face both political and judicial accountability.

In a show of solidarity with the blockade in Novi Sad in defence of Prof. Kleut, late on January 21 citizens gathered in front of the parliament building in the capital Belgrade.

“This is unacceptable, we no longer know what to do. We came because this is an institution that must be put under pressure constantly and without pause,” protester Danilo Gordanovic told regional television channel N1.

Meanwhile, police formed a cordon around the fence of the nearby Pioneer Park, where a camp of supporters of [President] Aleksandar Vucic is located, in order to prevent possible clashes.

In Nis, Kragujevac, Valjevo and other cities, citizens also gathered to express their support for the students and Kleut from Novi Sad, heading towards police stations.

The protests passed peacefully and without incidents.