Belgrade has been rocked for several nights in a row by protests that have blocked traffic on multiple streets. Students and citizens are boldly occupying intersections like King Alexander Boulevard, Roosevelt Street near the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, as well as Žarkovo and Čukarica. Despite blockades lasting for hours, the nights have passed without incidents, which is rare in such situations.
The police have intervened in some places but mostly showed tolerance, although criminal charges have been announced against the organizers of the blockades. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has called for the blockades to end to preserve public order, but students and citizens are not backing down, planning new actions across Belgrade and other Serbian cities.
The protests have sparked mixed reactions in the public, with a particularly notable scene where a news crew from Informer was booed and escorted off a protest at the Faculty of Law, while war veterans stood with the demonstrators. In some cases, police used force, drawing criticism from lawyers and the public.
These blockades are not just a fight for traffic flow but an expression of dissatisfaction and the right to protest. Students have published a map of blockades covering key intersections in Belgrade and Novi Sad, where arrests have also been reported. All this unfolds amid political tensions and calls for dialogue, while the number of detainees continues to rise.
If you think these are just another set of boring blockades, think again! These protests are the voice of youth and citizens who refuse to be ignored. So, what do you think about these blockades? Are they justified or just a nuisance? Drop a comment, maybe your word will spark the next big debate!
