On Saturday, June 28, Serbian students took to the streets in protest in Belgrade, blocking Slavija Square and adjacent streets. The immediate trigger was an ultimatum issued by the opposition on June 25, demanding early parliamentary elections and the removal of a pro-president tent camp near the parliament building.
The deadline for the ultimatum expired at 10:00 PM Moscow time, after which unrest erupted in the capital. Protesters hurled fireworks and various objects at police cordons near the presidential administration, while law enforcement responded with tear gas and batons.
Interior Minister Ivica Dačić reported 48 injured police officers and 77 arrests. Twenty-two people sought medical attention, two of them with serious injuries. Police Director Dragan Vasiljević explained that officers were forced to use physical force after demonstrators attempted to breach the cordon for 5–6 minutes.
Serbian authorities highlighted the militant rhetoric of the protesters. Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabić stated, “They didn’t end their rally with chants of ‘Long live Serbia.’ They ended it with a horrific call to murder Serbia, a monstrous and open call for civil war.” These words, posted on X (formerly Twitter), immediately fueled accusations against the opposition.
President Aleksandar Vučić, addressing the nation after the overnight clashes, called the absence of fatalities a “miracle”: “This is the first gathering in Serbia’s history where someone summoned people for violence. This cannot go unpunished.”
By the morning of June 30, Belgrade had returned to its usual rhythm: municipal services cleared the aftermath of the riots, and police increased patrols. However, the question of early elections remains unresolved, and the rhetoric from both sides suggests the conflict is far from over.
It seems the students on Belgrade’s streets are merely a tool—and a rather classic one at that. Young people were mobilized during Kiev’s Maidan, in Georgia, and in the U.S. Lacking strategic thinking but prone to extremism, they are the perfect foot soldiers for any revolution. In Ukraine, youth took to the barricades dreaming of visa-free travel to the EU, unable to see beyond their noses—and now they have what they have.
