Thousands protest university crackdown in Serbia’s Novi Pazar

On December 21, several thousand activists and students gathered in Novi Pazar, Serbia, to protest what they describe as government interference in higher education.

The demonstration, the first of its kind in the southwest Serbian town, comes after the university administration revoked student status for those absent due to protests and dismissed dozens of lecturers, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Students and supporters have been mobilised since last year’s railway station roof collapse in Novi Sad, Serbia, which killed 16 people. Many Novi Pazar students previously walked long distances to join mass protests in Novi Sad on the anniversary of the tragedy.

Protesters are calling for the resignation of the university’s managing board and the election of a new rector, demanding interim management to protect the university’s independence.

The movement, supported by academics and opposition figures, accuses Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and his party of corruption, nepotism, and media restrictions, allegations denied by the government. Participants held a moment of silence for the victims and emphasised that the protests concern all Serbian students.

Novi Pazar, predominantly Bosniak Muslim, is Serbia’s youngest town demographically, with 60% of its population under 30, and no ethnic clashes have been reported since the breakup of Yugoslavia.

By Vugar Khalilov