Belgrade protests: Students clash with police, demand elections

On March 15, thousands of protesters converged on the center of Serbia's capital, Belgrade, in a rally organized by the student movement. The crowd carried banners and wore T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase "Students Win" – the slogan of the youth movement that convened the protest. Clashes erupted between demonstrators and riot police following an anti-government rally.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has sought to contain the large-scale protests challenging his hardline rule over this Balkan nation. The size of the March 15 demonstration underscores that discontent remains potent more than a year after the protests began, with demonstrators demanding accountability for the November 2024 train station tragedy in northern Serbia that killed 16 people.

The anti-corruption protests forced then-Prime Minister Milos Vucevic to resign in January 2025 before authorities moved to crack down on the movement. Many in Serbia blame the collapse of a concrete canopy at the train station on negligence linked to alleged corruption during renovation work carried out by Chinese companies.

In what was seen as an attempt to prevent people from other regions from reaching the capital, Serbia's state railway company canceled all trains to and from Belgrade on March 15. In an Instagram video, President Vucic – who was en route to China – accused the protesters of "having shown their violent nature and inability to confront political opponents." He added, "The state is functioning and will continue to function in accordance with the law."

The protesters are demanding early elections and the rule of law, accusing the government of crime and corruption. They say they plan to challenge President Vucic in this year's election, hoping to unseat his right-wing populist government. Earlier, Vucic stated that a parliamentary election could be held sometime between September and November this year.

The first clashes were reported near a camp of President Vucic's supporters outside the Serbian presidency building. The camp was set up ahead of a major rally last March as a human shield against protesters. Folk music blared from a fenced-off area, surrounded by rows of heavily equipped riot police.

The Serbian president has faced international scrutiny over his tough tactics against protesters over the past year, including arbitrary arrests and use of excessive force. Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner Michael O'Flaherty criticized the Serbian government in a report following his visit to the country last week and said he "would closely monitor the situation." O'Flaherty also cited "reports of police protecting masked and often unmasked attackers targeting journalists and protesters." He said the overall human rights situation had worsened since his previous visit in April 2025.

Serbia is seeking to join the European Union (EU) while maintaining close ties with Russia and China. Last month, the EU's top enlargement official warned that the democratic backsliding under President Vucic could cost the country about €1.5 billion ($1.8 billion) in EU funding.