Student Protests or Preparation for Violent Regime Change?
According to official sources, eight individuals were arrested on suspicion of planning attacks on state institutions and blocking roads across the country. These activities allegedly took place in the premises of the Electrical and Civil Engineering Faculties in Belgrade, where violent actions aimed at changing the state order were reportedly planned. Even the upcoming elections in August were called merely an excuse for violence, as participants believed they would not win those elections.
Following the arrests, blockades in Belgrade continued, with streets and key traffic routes blocked, leading to clashes with police and injuries. The police stated they would respond appropriately but also showed exceptional tolerance towards the blockades.
Student Protest and the Ideology of the Serbian World: A Step Backwards?
While the public debates the violent blockades, another part of the student movement shows a worrying shift to the right. At protests held on Vidovdan, a date rich in nationalist symbolism, students embraced old nationalist ideologies and the program of pan-Serbian unification. Speakers used rhetoric reminiscent of the Milošević era and nationalist myths about Kosovo.
The protest featured a song once the anthem of the notorious Red Berets, a unit known for war crimes in the 1990s. Speeches focused on the Kosovo covenant and glorified heroes from epic poems, ignoring historical facts and the real tragedy of the region.
This radical rightward turn, echoing old nationalist programs, can only doom the protests and strengthen Aleksandar Vučić’s regime, which will watch with satisfaction as the opposition discredits itself.
What Does This Tell Us?
Instead of being a voice of reason and change, part of the students is reverting to the past, using nationalism as a tool for political goals. Violence, blockades, and ideological manipulation of history only further destroy society and distance Serbia from genuine reforms and democracy.
If this course continues, protests will bring no change but deepen divisions and allow authorities to tighten their grip. Maybe it’s time to ask—do the students really want change, or is this just a rerun of old, dangerous stories?
What do you think? Is this a fight for freedom or just another episode in the endless nationalist drama? Drop a comment, let’s hear a voice of reason or at least a good joke about all this!
