Huge Crowds Fill Belgrade as Months-Long Protests Escalate

At a rally held on Slavija Square on Saturday, an anonymous protester—adhering to the movement’s intentionally leaderless nature—stirred the crowd with a chant: “Look how many of us are here! Your voice matters! Let’s wake up Serbia together!”

The demonstration remained largely peaceful; however, police detained a man who drove his car into a crowd of protesters in a Belgrade suburb, injuring three people, according to a report from the Associated Press.

A sense of unity and optimism permeated the atmosphere in Belgrade as families, some arriving on foot from over a dozen cities and towns, proudly displayed their travel-worn feet as a symbol of their commitment to the cause.

While the government initially responded cautiously, avoiding direct crackdowns or harsh rhetoric, incidents of violence over the past four months—such as scattered brawls and attacks on demonstrators—have heightened tensions. Protesters allege that these escalations were triggered by masked provocateurs.

In response to the situation, several ministers from the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, including Prime Minister Miloš Vučević, submitted their resignations. At the same time, they accused demonstrators of attempting to overthrow the government.

Meanwhile, Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabić, a former prime minister, condemned the protesting students and professors in Belgrade, claiming in a statement earlier this week that they were “instigating a coup d’état and civil war in the Republic of Serbia.”