A mass gathering in Belgrade, reportedly larger even than the protests that preceded the overthrow of Slobodan Milošević, the so-called student protests in Serbia reached their peak last Saturday. Although this movement, which was formally triggered by the demolition of a canopy at the Novi Sad railway station, resulting in the deaths of fifteen people, has been ongoing for a full four months, having grown from Novi Sad-Belgrade to a pan-Serbian movement, and from a student movement to a student-people’s movement, it remains an enigma who its true organizers are and what its real goals are. After all, movements are not organized for the purpose of cleaning and healing institutions, which is the declared student goal, but, as a rule, primarily imply a change of government. However, they are not limited to just a regime change.
Yet it seems that even after four months of protests, even the all-powerful Serbian leader Aleksandar Vučić, who controls everything in Serbia, still does not know who actually wants to force him out of power, especially at a time when he seemingly has stable relations with all key geopolitical actors, and with some, excellent ones (USA, Russia, China, Turkey), who should replace his political clique and with what aim. The fact that he sees the main organizers of the protests in ‘hostile’ Croatian intelligence services only confirms that he does not fully understand what is actually happening in Serbia.
Questions Seek Answers
From the way the protests have been conducted so far, it is clear that this is a modern and very organized protest concept that does not appear to have originated in Serbia and cannot be conceived, organized, and led by students, even when their professors join them. But they can implement it. A cause has been chosen that can touch and mobilize people: the death of passengers at the Novi Sad station as a consequence of a corrupt construction system. The pace of the protests spreading across the entire state and society has been impeccable, including everyone: from green activists to Chetnik flag bearers to ordinary people who just want justice and a better life. By insisting on democratic standards and the functioning of institutions, they have prevented Vučić’s (negotiated) opposition from politically instrumentalizing the protest. So far, they do not have defined leaders who could become targets of the regime. They have top-notch PR that includes cleaning the city after the protests. They leave the impression of a different Serbia. Politically and corruptly devastated Vučić’s Serbia is an extremely favorable ground for such protests. But from all of this, we still do not know – who is managing them?
