Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić is facing significant pressure, according to a report by the Brussels-based portal Politiko, which questions his ability to navigate the situation. The report elaborates on the massive protest rally in Belgrade on March 15, noting a sonic boom that reverberated through the crowd, suspected to have been generated by a “sonic cannon.”

Politiko highlights that these protests are the largest and most pervasive in Serbia’s recent history, triggered by the tragic collapse of a train station canopy in Novi Sad on November 1, which resulted in 15 fatalities. After this event, it seemed many felt they could have been victims too.

The report points out that students are leading the protest charge, with their capacity to demonstrate daily, unlike other citizens hindered by work and familial commitments, allowing protests to continue. Physically able students have also effectively spread the word across Serbia, even reaching its farthest corners.

This dynamic has been pivotal in escalating the protests, as noted by Politiko, allowing protesters to circumvent the government-controlled narrative from state television and the fervently pro-Vučić media outlets. Notably, many of these pro-government platforms have entirely ignored the demonstrations since their inception.

The protests “culminated on Saturday when at least 100,000 individuals gathered in Belgrade, arriving from various regions to insist on the government taking corruption seriously,” Politiko writes. Before this peak, the ruling Serbian Progressive Party attempted to downplay the protests’ significance while also making concessions, yet these efforts failed to dampen the movement’s momentum, with some government loyalists beginning to support the protests instead.

“This sense of urgency was evident as so many felt compelled to join the demonstrations in Belgrade last Saturday,” Politiko observes.

The portal notes a contrast between the official police estimate of 107,000 participants at the protest and other estimates suggesting around 300,000 individuals. Due to the crowd’s distribution across boulevards, side streets, and near key institutions, a precise count proves challenging and traditional crowd-counting methods may not be applicable.

“Anyone present would attest that participants were densely packed together for nearly three hours, making it nearly impossible to navigate through a two-kilometer stretch in Belgrade’s city center. Protesters carried banners, sang songs, and some creative students fashioned cardboard puppets of politicians with their mouths filled with banknotes,” Politiko states.

The report goes on to detail a poignant moment during a 15-minute tribute to the victims of the canopy collapse. At around 7 PM, demonstrators at Kralja Milan were suddenly startled by a piercing hissing sound, causing chaos as they scattered, resulting in injuries as many fell over one another.

Local news speculates that the sound originated from a sonic cannon, a contentious crowd-control method, known as a long-range acoustic device (LRAD), which can produce high-frequency sounds that inflict pain and disorientation.

In response, Vučić has dismissed claims of LRAD use, suggesting instead that it was an anti-drone apparatus, asserting that it disrupted drones by interfering with their GPS and radio signals. According to Politiko, “an immediate investigation is ongoing.”

Questions arise as to whether the growing protest movement in Serbia could topple Vučić, though Politiko deems this a distant possibility.

Furthermore, Vučić’s attempts to alleviate pressure—including forcing the resignation of three ministers, the mayor of Novi Sad, and even Prime Minister Miloš Vučević—and disclosing plans to reconstruct the Novi Sad train station have yielded only limited success.

Public sentiment remains largely unmoved by Vučić’s actions, as it illustrates his view that associates are dispensable as long as he maintains control, according to Politiko. The publication of documentation was intended to address concerns but failed to reassure citizens against future oversights, despite being a primary demand of the protests.

Politiko highlights that Vučić’s invocation of a “colored revolution” has not aided his cause; similar rhetoric has been employed by leaders like Viktor Orbán, Vladimir Putin, and Robert Fico, who lack democratic leanings.

The report also underlines Vučić’s declaration on Instagram that he “will not allow a Maidan-like situation in Serbia.” He continues to claim that international foundations and foreign nations are behind the protests, in hopes of deterring participation.

Thus far, this strategy appears ineffective, as protests are increasing rather than waning, according to Politiko.

The portal examines the European Union’s stance regarding the unfolding events in Serbia, noting a planned meeting between Vučić and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, which will likely address “this issue (the protests).”

However, Politiko notes that the demonstrators are not particularly encouraged by the prospect of EU backing, as Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos has predominantly focused her remarks on condemning violence against protesters.

The absence of EU flags at the protests underscores the Serbian public’s perception of Vučić as “a Brussels agent in Belgrade, who professes commitment to European values during his visits to Brussels or when EU officials like von der Leyen are in the country, provided they don’t criticize him too harshly.”

Politiko emphasizes the EU’s negative impact on its image due to its support for a controversial lithium mine in Serbia, a highly unpopular decision that has reinforced the notion among Serbians that “Brussels is the enemy, making the presence of EU flags at protests untenable.”

Furthermore, the support expressed by tennis legend Novak Djokovic for the protests has significant meaning, as the population holds him in high regard and Djokovic has typically steered clear of political commentary, occasionally being photographed with Vučić. His stance signals a diminishing support for Vučić even from his most loyal backers, Politiko assesses.

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