A group known as Students 2.0, supported by the current Serbian authorities, vacated their camp in Pionirski Park in downtown Belgrade (located between the Parliament and Presidency buildings) on Monday morning, leaving behind significant amounts of trash, leftover food, and damaged tents, tables, chairs, and other materials.

Despite their announcement to stay until all five of their demands were addressed (one being the dismissal of the Minister of Education and a prompt return to classes), several students who had gained media attention in previous days departed from Pioneer Park. Only a few plainclothes and uniformed police officers, some unidentified security personnel, and onlookers examining broken and abandoned tractors remained in the area.

Throughout the day, masked individuals obstructed journalists from N1 and KTV from covering the camp’s situation, which the students dubbed “Ćaciland,” a reference to the perceived low literacy of its primary figures.

Former MP of the Serbian Radical Party (SRS) and current journalist for Zrenjanin’s KTV, Nemanja Šarović, was assaulted during a “live” broadcast from the park, sustaining minor injuries while having his mobile phone stolen and damaged. Plainclothes police intervened to help him recover his phone and document the incident, which he later posted on his YouTube channel.

According to police, the public gathering in the park is still deemed ongoing, even though participants have left.

KTV’s report revealed that certain equipment (portable restrooms, heaters) was removed from the park, while items brought to the camp in pristine condition now lay destroyed, soiled with mud and food. Numerous tents, sleeping bags, tables, and chairs were scattered throughout the park amidst large heaps of rubbish, cigarette butts, and discarded food.

Among the debris, a noticeable Serbian flag was spotted, along with hundreds of pre-prepared meals, such as roasts, bacon, fruits, vegetables, bread, flatbreads, and sandwiches.

In one area, several cartons containing hundreds of eggs were discovered, seemingly intended for throwing at protesters or for a mock attack on Students 2.0. Bags filled with a substantial quantity of tomatoes were also identified.

The grass throughout the camp was nearly obliterated, leaving the status of some rare plants in limbo. Throughout the afternoon and evening, municipal services continued the process of dismantling the camp and clearing away debris.

News