Over 100,000 demonstrators poured into the streets of Belgrade, Serbia’s capital, March 15, capping four months of protests sparked by a train station’s roof collapse in the city of Novi Sad Nov. 1 that killed 15 people. Accusations of widespread government corruption and negligence rapidly evolved into a nationwide movement opposing the rule of President Aleksandar Vucic.
Tens of thousands walked, cycled and drove — including farmers on tractors — from across the country to join the action after the government shut down all public transportation to Belgrade. They arrived to a joyous welcome by city residents who provided outdoor heaters and hot food. Workers swelled the size of the protest, turning it into one of the largest demonstrations in the country. Banner above says “Rotten to the core, get out support.”
Loyalists backing Vucic, including the dreaded paramilitary unit accused of war crimes during the wars in the Balkans in the 1990s, surrounded the presidential palace. Vucic warned the protest could end in bloodshed, saying the only way he would leave office was “if they kill me.” He back-pedaled as the huge rally assembled, claiming he “understood” the protesters’ concerns, and “we will have to change ourselves.”
On March 19 the government of Prime Minister Milos Vucevic resigned.
In power 12 years, Vucic has maintained close ties with the Kremlin, including after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. In August he announced earlier discussions about Serbia joining the European Union in 2028 were off the table.