26
Jun 2025
11:30 UTC
Serbia Tactical: Students to hold anti-government protest at Trg Slavija in Belgrade at 18:00 (local time) on June 28; avoid nonessential travel
Current Situation
- An anti-government protest organized by student groups will take place at Trg Slavija in Belgrade at 18:00 (local time) on June 28.
Source: Instagram
- Local media reports suggest that additional protests and road blockades may begin earlier in the day, starting at Ulica Kralja Milana and potentially extending to Autokomanda and Brankov Bridge. However, exact timings for these actions remain unconfirmed.
- Further demonstrations are reportedly planned at Spomenik Vuku, while additional disruptions are expected at Ada Bridge and Gazela Bridge. Protesters may also target the road to the deponija Vinca in the wider Belgrade area.
- The planned protest in Belgrade on June 28 is being organized by student groups in support of demands for early parliamentary elections and the cancellation of a reportedly registered pro-government public gathering at Pionirski Park and Trg Nikole Pasica. The timing of the pro-government event remains unconfirmed as of writing.
- The students are calling on the government to dissolve the National Assembly and for the President to initiate early elections in September, with a deadline of 21:00 on June 28. Protest leaders argue that the current parliament no longer reflects the political reality in the country and that the government has lost the ability to manage the deepening socio-political crisis. If their demands are not met by the stated deadline, organizers have warned of the launch of widespread civil disobedience.
- The protest coincides with Vidovdan, St. Vitus Day, a symbolically significant date in Serbia commemorating the 1389 Battle of Kosovo—a historic event linked to themes of sacrifice, national identity, and political change. Organizers deliberately selected this date to underscore the seriousness of their demands and to signal a call for major political transformation.
Source: DANAS
- Local media reports suggest that additional protests and road blockades may begin earlier in the day, starting at Ulica Kralja Milana and potentially extending to Autokomanda and Brankov Bridge. However, exact timings for these actions remain unconfirmed.
- Further demonstrations are reportedly planned at Spomenik Vuku, while additional disruptions are expected at Ada Bridge and Gazela Bridge. Protesters may also target the road to the deponija Vinca in the wider Belgrade area.
- The planned protest in Belgrade on June 28 is being organized by student groups in support of demands for early parliamentary elections and the cancellation of a reportedly registered pro-government public gathering at Pionirski Park and Trg Nikole Pasica. The timing of the pro-government event remains unconfirmed as of writing.
- The students are calling on the government to dissolve the National Assembly and for the President to initiate early elections in September, with a deadline of 21:00 on June 28. Protest leaders argue that the current parliament no longer reflects the political reality in the country and that the government has lost the ability to manage the deepening socio-political crisis. If their demands are not met by the stated deadline, organizers have warned of the launch of widespread civil disobedience.
- The protest coincides with Vidovdan, St. Vitus Day, a symbolically significant date in Serbia commemorating the 1389 Battle of Kosovo—a historic event linked to themes of sacrifice, national identity, and political change. Organizers deliberately selected this date to underscore the seriousness of their demands and to signal a call for major political transformation.
Source: DANAS
Assessments & Forecast
- Based on precedent and estimates from media and social media, the protest on June 28 is expected to attract a turnout ranging from the high tens of thousands to the low hundreds of thousands. This expectation is reinforced by the students’ intention to repeat their March 15 protest, during which approximately 300,000 people demonstrated in Belgrade.
- Student groups have announced that additional protests will be staged ahead of July 28, with future demonstrations likely to occur near key government buildings, state media institutions, major intersections, and central squares. As seen previously, various protest contingents are expected to converge on a central location, such as the National Assembly and/or Trg Slavija, approaching from different directions to maximize disruption and visibility.
- Additionally, the likelihood of counter-protests by pro-government groups remains high, especially as student organizers have framed the June 28 protest as an ultimatum for the government to announce early elections. Additionally, there is a possibility of pro-government entities infiltrating the student protests to foment unrest and discredit the student movement.
- As such, these protests carry a heightened threat of civil unrest, in the form of clashes between protesters, law enforcement, and potential counter-protesters, as well as incidents of vandalism targeting nearby properties. Additionally, given precedent, the threat of targeted attacks against anti-government protesters by pro-government actors and disgruntled commuters also remains elevated. Such attacks may include vehicle rammings, particularly given the potential for road blockades by protesters.
- Notably, crackdown tactics against student protests have escalated recently, as evidenced by eyewitness accounts indicating the use of an illegal military-grade sonic weapon to disperse protesters in Belgrade on March 15.
- As such, a bolstered security presence, including the deployment of riot police, is expected across the central parts of Belgrade as a precautionary measure to monitor proceedings. In case of escalating unrest, authorities are likely to deploy forcible crowd dispersal measures, including using water cannons and conducting arrests, to control crowds. Overall, police are expected to maintain a low threshold for intervention, including the use of force and preemptive detentions.
- Severe disruptions to pedestrian and vehicular movement, including road closures, traffic diversions, and obstructions, should be anticipated across Belgrade. Significant disruptions to traffic and public transportation are expected to persist beyond the protest timings.
Recommendations
- Those operating or residing in Belgrade on July 28 are advised to avoid nonessential travel due to the high risk of unrest in the central areas, especially near Trg Slavija, during the slated anti-government protests.
- Allot for associated disruptions to travel across the city throughout the day.
COUNTRY RISK LEVEL
Low
AFFECTED AREA
Belgrade, Serbia
INCIDENT RISK LEVEL
High
STRENGTH OF SOURCE
Credible
Current Situation
- An anti-government protest organized by student groups will take place at Trg Slavija in Belgrade at 18:00 (local time) on June 28.
Source: Instagram
- Local media reports suggest that additional protests and road blockades may begin earlier in the day, starting at Ulica Kralja Milana and potentially extending to Autokomanda and Brankov Bridge. However, exact timings for these actions remain unconfirmed.
- Further demonstrations are reportedly planned at Spomenik Vuku, while additional disruptions are expected at Ada Bridge and Gazela Bridge. Protesters may also target the road to the deponija Vinca in the wider Belgrade area.
- The planned protest in Belgrade on June 28 is being organized by student groups in support of demands for early parliamentary elections and the cancellation of a reportedly registered pro-government public gathering at Pionirski Park and Trg Nikole Pasica. The timing of the pro-government event remains unconfirmed as of writing.
- The students are calling on the government to dissolve the National Assembly and for the President to initiate early elections in September, with a deadline of 21:00 on June 28. Protest leaders argue that the current parliament no longer reflects the political reality in the country and that the government has lost the ability to manage the deepening socio-political crisis. If their demands are not met by the stated deadline, organizers have warned of the launch of widespread civil disobedience.
- The protest coincides with Vidovdan, St. Vitus Day, a symbolically significant date in Serbia commemorating the 1389 Battle of Kosovo—a historic event linked to themes of sacrifice, national identity, and political change. Organizers deliberately selected this date to underscore the seriousness of their demands and to signal a call for major political transformation.
Source: DANAS
- Local media reports suggest that additional protests and road blockades may begin earlier in the day, starting at Ulica Kralja Milana and potentially extending to Autokomanda and Brankov Bridge. However, exact timings for these actions remain unconfirmed.
- Further demonstrations are reportedly planned at Spomenik Vuku, while additional disruptions are expected at Ada Bridge and Gazela Bridge. Protesters may also target the road to the deponija Vinca in the wider Belgrade area.
- The planned protest in Belgrade on June 28 is being organized by student groups in support of demands for early parliamentary elections and the cancellation of a reportedly registered pro-government public gathering at Pionirski Park and Trg Nikole Pasica. The timing of the pro-government event remains unconfirmed as of writing.
- The students are calling on the government to dissolve the National Assembly and for the President to initiate early elections in September, with a deadline of 21:00 on June 28. Protest leaders argue that the current parliament no longer reflects the political reality in the country and that the government has lost the ability to manage the deepening socio-political crisis. If their demands are not met by the stated deadline, organizers have warned of the launch of widespread civil disobedience.
- The protest coincides with Vidovdan, St. Vitus Day, a symbolically significant date in Serbia commemorating the 1389 Battle of Kosovo—a historic event linked to themes of sacrifice, national identity, and political change. Organizers deliberately selected this date to underscore the seriousness of their demands and to signal a call for major political transformation.
Source: DANAS
Assessments & Forecast
- Based on precedent and estimates from media and social media, the protest on June 28 is expected to attract a turnout ranging from the high tens of thousands to the low hundreds of thousands. This expectation is reinforced by the students’ intention to repeat their March 15 protest, during which approximately 300,000 people demonstrated in Belgrade.
- Student groups have announced that additional protests will be staged ahead of July 28, with future demonstrations likely to occur near key government buildings, state media institutions, major intersections, and central squares. As seen previously, various protest contingents are expected to converge on a central location, such as the National Assembly and/or Trg Slavija, approaching from different directions to maximize disruption and visibility.
- Additionally, the likelihood of counter-protests by pro-government groups remains high, especially as student organizers have framed the June 28 protest as an ultimatum for the government to announce early elections. Additionally, there is a possibility of pro-government entities infiltrating the student protests to foment unrest and discredit the student movement.
- As such, these protests carry a heightened threat of civil unrest, in the form of clashes between protesters, law enforcement, and potential counter-protesters, as well as incidents of vandalism targeting nearby properties. Additionally, given precedent, the threat of targeted attacks against anti-government protesters by pro-government actors and disgruntled commuters also remains elevated. Such attacks may include vehicle rammings, particularly given the potential for road blockades by protesters.
- Notably, crackdown tactics against student protests have escalated recently, as evidenced by eyewitness accounts indicating the use of an illegal military-grade sonic weapon to disperse protesters in Belgrade on March 15.
- As such, a bolstered security presence, including the deployment of riot police, is expected across the central parts of Belgrade as a precautionary measure to monitor proceedings. In case of escalating unrest, authorities are likely to deploy forcible crowd dispersal measures, including using water cannons and conducting arrests, to control crowds. Overall, police are expected to maintain a low threshold for intervention, including the use of force and preemptive detentions.
- Severe disruptions to pedestrian and vehicular movement, including road closures, traffic diversions, and obstructions, should be anticipated across Belgrade. Significant disruptions to traffic and public transportation are expected to persist beyond the protest timings.
Recommendations
- Those operating or residing in Belgrade on July 28 are advised to avoid nonessential travel due to the high risk of unrest in the central areas, especially near Trg Slavija, during the slated anti-government protests.
- Allot for associated disruptions to travel across the city throughout the day.
COUNTRY RISK LEVEL
Low
AFFECTED AREA
Belgrade, Serbia
INCIDENT RISK LEVEL
High
STRENGTH OF SOURCE
Credible
Related Reports
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ProtestSerbia Tactical: Protests, blockades ongoing in multiple locations in Belgrade as of morning hours (local time) on July 7; avoid nonessential travel -
ProtestSerbia Tactical: Anti-government protest to be held at Faculty of Law in Belgrade at 20:00 (local time) on July 6; avoid nonessential travel
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ProtestSerbia Tactical: Anti-government protest to be held in front of Centralni Zatvor in Belgrade at 19:00 (local time) on July 6; avoid nonessential travel
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ProtestSerbia Tactical: Student groups call for blockades nationwide, including in Belgrade, from morning hours (local time) on July 4; avoid nonessential travel
Related Reports
Serbia
-
ProtestSerbia Tactical: Protests, blockades ongoing in multiple locations in Belgrade as of morning hours (local time) on July 7; avoid nonessential travel
-
ProtestSerbia Tactical: Anti-government protest to be held at Faculty of Law in Belgrade at 20:00 (local time) on July 6; avoid nonessential travel
-
ProtestSerbia Tactical: Anti-government protest to be held in front of Centralni Zatvor in Belgrade at 19:00 (local time) on July 6; avoid nonessential travel
-
ProtestSerbia Tactical: Student groups call for blockades nationwide, including in Belgrade, from morning hours (local time) on July 4; avoid nonessential travel