150 thousand people filled the center of Belgrade: what the protesters demand before the elections

On Thursday, October 22, the center of Belgrade was filled with tens of thousands of demonstrators supporting the Serbian opposition. According to AFP, about 150 thousand people participated in the rally. The participants gathered in support of the opposition movement "Student List," which intends to participate in the parliamentary elections on Sunday, October 25. Its goal is to put an end to the more than 14-year rule of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). The current demonstration is a continuation of the large-scale protest movement that has engulfed Serbia for nearly two years. The tragedy in the city of Novi Sad sparked the mass protests. In November 2024, a concrete canopy collapsed at the local train station, resulting in the deaths of 16 people. After that, student protests began in the country, which lasted for almost two years and gradually took on a political character. Now, the participants of the protest movement are striving for change through the parliamentary elections. At the same time, the election campaign is taking place against a backdrop of reports of violations. Civil society organizations report instances of intimidation, arrests, and attacks, as well as the misappropriation of state resources. Observers are particularly concerned about the information environment. According to public organizations, the coverage of political events in Serbian media during the campaign has been distorted. Thus, the Sunday elections will be the next stage of the political confrontation that began after the tragedy in Novi Sad. After nearly two years of street protests, the opposition student movement is hoping to achieve its goals directly through voting for the first time in the current campaign. The election results will show what support it has received among voters.