Thousands of residents in Belgrade are gathering in the streets to welcome students who are making their way on foot to the Serbian capital from various regions of the country for a significant protest scheduled for Saturday, March 15th.

The first groups of pedestrians from the southern and western parts of Serbia are expected to arrive shortly, while a contingent of cyclists from Kragujevac has already made it to the heart of Belgrade.

With banners proclaiming “Students, Belgrade is yours,” students arriving in the city will receive medals and flowers as tokens of appreciation.

Groups of students, adorned with their faculty flags, march through King Milan Street, chanting “pumpaj.”

On the sidewalks, citizens cheer them on.

For over three months, students have been staging protests by blocking universities across Serbia, now calling for a demonstration in Belgrade on March 15th to demand accountability—both criminal and political—for the deaths of 15 individuals in the collapse of a concrete canopy at the Novi Sad Railway Station on November 1st, 2024.

Student organizers are advising attendees to keep their distance from the tractors and fences surrounding Pioneer Park, situated between the Presidency of Serbia and the Serbian Parliament.

As people walk by Terazije, where a student reception is taking place, they pause at the encampment of “students who want to study.”

Alongside the protests, the crowd in the camp can be heard shouting “daddies,” a pejorative term, as well as “pump up,” one of the protest slogans.

Some individuals have climbed onto the tractors parked around the park since this morning.

Pioneer Park is heavily policed, with officers prepared to manage any potential unrest.

On the other side of the fence, citizens are shouting “shame” and “who are you protecting” at the law enforcement officers.

Tractors have been adorned with symbols of clenched fists and calls for the protest on March 15th.

The encampment of “students who want to learn” is predominantly male, many of whom have concealed their identities with caps and hoods.

A barrier of tractors, fencing, and police separates the citizens welcoming students at Kralja Milana, near the Presidency and City Assembly, from the camp in Pionirski Park.

Law enforcement allowed a few men, whose faces were concealed, to exit the camp area and proceed towards King Milan Street.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced that the government will “take all necessary measures” to maintain peace and indicated that arrests would be made for those who incite unrest.

Previously, the government accused opposition groups of instigating violence, while students have dismissed these claims.

The upcoming protest in Belgrade is regarded as the peak of months of demonstrations throughout Serbia spearheaded by students on blockade.

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