A diverse group of students, citizens, cyclists, and motorcyclists assembled this evening close to the building where Novi Sad Mayor Žarko Mićin is said to own an apartment.

They shouted slogans such as “Pump”, “Your hands are stained with blood”, and “We demand elections”.

The demonstration took place on Branka Bajića Street, where the mayor allegedly resides.

The protests were initiated by students critical of Mićin’s remarks about a prior demonstration on the street where former Prime Minister Miloš Vučević lives, which he labeled as “a call for lynching.”

In their social media announcement for the rally, the students asserted that Mićin is “a mayor who was never elected by the populace.”

According to the Citizens’ Council, Mićin “owns three apartments, three garages, and three fields, whereas before 2013 he had only one apartment documented in the property records.”

Previously, citizens protested on Branimir Ćosić Street in front of the residence of former Novi Sad mayor and Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) president Miloš Vučević.

During that event, there was a verbal and physical altercation between the gathered citizens and SNS officials seated at a nearby café.

Mićin succeeded Milan Đurić as mayor, who resigned alongside then-Prime Minister Miloš Vučević in January due to attacks from ruling SNS activists on students in Novi Sad.

His election occurred without opposition presence amidst protests and incidents outside the Novi Sad Assembly.

In response to the protest outside his home on July 16, Mićin stated he “is still open to dialogue,” according to Radio Free Europe (RFE).

“However, I will not retreat. They disclosed my residential address where I live with my children and spouse. This is reminiscent of actions during World War II,” Mićin told Prva television.

The Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Novi Sad announced that in light of “threats” directed at the mayor, it has instructed police “to identify the individuals responsible for the act of jeopardizing security.” The prosecutor’s office did not elaborate on the nature of the threats, according to RFE/RL.

Student protests and blockades throughout Serbian faculties began in November 2024 following the death of 16 individuals due to the collapse of the newly reconstructed canopy at the Novi Sad Railway Station.

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