A Serbian student clash with police in Belgrade erupted after authorities searched University of Belgrade offices, intensifying long-running tensions between protesters and the government.
Hundreds of students gathered in the city centre, where clashes broke out as police used truncheons to disperse demonstrators. Protesters shouted slogans such as “dogs” and “traitors,” according to witnesses.
The protest was triggered by a police search of university premises linked to an investigation into the death of a 25-year-old student who fell from a faculty building days earlier. Police officials said the operation was carried out under a court order and aimed at gathering evidence.
However, University Rector Vladan Djokic disputed the justification, telling protesters that officers entered without a valid legal explanation and seized computers.
“You can raid university premises, but you cannot raid people’s conscience,” he said. Authorities said they found items including firecrackers, walkie-talkies, gas masks, banners, and first-aid supplies during the search.
Officials suggested these materials could be linked to a protest organisation, though the investigation remains ongoing. The latest unrest is part of a broader wave of antigovernmental protests that have swept Serbia since December 2024. The demonstrations were sparked by a deadly railway station collapse in Novi Sad that killed 16 people, leading to widespread public anger.
У Аранђеловцу су батинаши са којима смо се сукобили били полицајци у цивилу, у службеним колима са лажним таблицама!
Испред Ректората криминалци у полицијским униформама понеки са наногицом не знају да ли су пошли или дошли!
Хуља нит има довољно батинаша нит керова!
УСТАЈ СРБИНЕ pic.twitter.com/i96HnfT3lh
— Nikola Manak (@ManakNikola) April 1, 2026Students have since occupied university buildings across the country, making campuses a focal point of dissent. Protesters, opposition leaders, and rights groups have accused President Aleksandar Vuci and his allies of corruption, links to organised crime, and the suppression of media freedom. The government has strongly denied these allegations.
As tensions continue, the clashes in Belgrade highlight ongoing divisions between authorities and activists in Serbia.
