Belgrade and other cities in Serbia “collapsed” due to student protests. Tens of thousands of students, high school students and citizens took to the streets to demonstrate against corruption and lack of transparency. There were three incidents during the main road blockades. The most serious in new Belgrade, where a driver ran over a security guard student who hit her head on the pavement and is hospitalized. The driver of the car was arrested and remanded in custody. Because of this event, the students proceeded to block a busy road junction.

The students’ call for a general strike-disobedience was largely met. Traffic in Belgrade and other cities was noticeably reduced, many shops remained closed, 80% of schools did not work, theaters postponed performances, lawyers did not appear in court, while doctors and health workers in many health centers also went on strike. The demonstrations were also massive, the most impressive being the march of high school students from Belgrade who started coordinated from the new and the old Belgrade and met at the bridge that connects the two parts of the capital. Demonstrations were also held in all Serbian cities.

The president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, as a distraction from the student protests, launched a campaign “to project honest and normal Serbia” by holding rallies in various cities. The first rally takes place tonight in the town of Jagodina in central Serbia. Thousands of citizens arrived in an organized manner from all over Serbia to show their support for Aleksandar Vucic. At this gathering, the president of Serbia will present his vision for the establishment of a movement that will bring together patriotic political and social forces.