Serbian students march into Belgrade ahead of crucial election

Cheers, music and fireworks greeted students arriving in Belgrade from across Serbia on the evening of October 21, in a festive show of support ahead of a final rally that will test whether their anti-government movement can turn two years of protests into electoral gains.

Long columns of students and supporters who had walked from the north, west and east of the country were welcomed by large crowds near the University of Belgrade’s Rectorate, where a red carpet was laid out for their arrival. People waved flags, blew whistles, lit torches and sang as the marchers entered the capital.

The arrival was a prelude to a final rally on October 22 at Slavija Square, where the student-backed electoral list, running under the name “Students Win”, is due to gather at 18:00 under the slogan “Victory is Calling”.

The scenes echoed the energy of the mass demonstrations that have swept Serbia since November 2024, when 16 people were killed by the collapse of an exterior roof at the railway station in the northern city of Novi Sad.

What began as demands for accountability over the disaster and for the release of classified documents behind the station’s renovation grew into a wider movement against corruption and the long-standing rule of Aleksandar Vucic and his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). Students have organised university blockades, strikes, road closures and repeated mass rallies, drawing support from people across the country.

Thursday’s planned gathering in Belgrade marks a decisive moment for the movement as it seeks to carry that momentum from the streets to the ballot box in Sunday’s snap parliamentary election.

The students were joined on their marches by cardiologist and university professor Ilija Srdanovic, who heads their electoral list, as well as theatre director Zeljko Hubac, actor Tihomir Stanic and sociologist Jovo Bakic.

The movement has brought together academics, doctors, engineers, artists and other public figures, campaigning on a platform focused on institutional reform, judicial independence, anti-corruption measures and greater transparency in public procurement.

But the enthusiasm on display in Belgrade poses a central question for the election: can a movement that has mobilised large crowds and reached communities across Serbia translate its public support into enough votes to challenge a ruling party that has dominated politics for more than a decade?

The Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), in power since 2012, is also holding its final campaign rally in Belgrade on October 22, at 16:00 at a sports hall in New Belgrade. The party has organised rallies in other cities, including Nis and Novi Sad.

Vucic, who resigned as president in September to campaign as the SNS candidate for prime minister, has said the party wants to demonstrate that it expects to win across the country.

Some recent polls suggest the student-backed list could significantly reduce the SNS’s support. However, the ruling party retains extensive political networks and a strong base among older voters, while the student movement is seeking to mobilise undecided voters and convert a broad coalition of supporters into votes with a broad programme centred on corruption and institutional reform.

The final rallies will take place against a backdrop of concerns about unequal media access, pressure on public-sector employees, the unfair use of state resources and possible electoral irregularities. Opposition parties and civil society groups have raised concerns about the fairness of the electoral environment.

Meanwhile, the detention of six men ahead of the vote has prompted allegations of political intimidation. Prosecutors said the men were suspected of preparing to overthrow the constitutional order during Sunday’s election. Opposition figures have described the case as politically motivated and intended to intimidate the opposition.

Belgrade is also preparing for two major sporting events on Thursday evening. Red Star Belgrade will host Denmark’s Copenhagen in the UEFA Conference League at the Rajko Mitić Stadium, while Partizan and Red Star meet in a EuroLeague basketball derby at the Belgrade Arena. Tickets for the basketball game have sold out, with around 20,000 spectators expected.

The concentration of political supporters and sports fans across the capital has raised questions about security and crowd management.

For the student movement, the focus will be on Slavija Square, which has hosted several major demonstrations since the Novi Sad disaster. A rally there on 15 March 2025 drew an estimated 300,000 people, according to the Archive of Public Gatherings (Arhiv javnih skupova).

The challenge now is to turn the solidarity and enthusiasm visible on the streets into an electoral force. Sunday’s vote will show how far the protests have shifted public opinion — and whether the movement can mount a serious challenge to the political establishment it has spent nearly two years opposing.