Tensions flared in Novi Sad during the celebration of the 200th anniversary of “Matica Srpska,” an event that was meant to be ceremonial but instead became the scene of violent incidents and accusations of politically motivated attacks.
The Academic Plenum of Serbia publicly held President Aleksandar Vučić’s administration responsible for what they described as coordinated assaults on young people who gathered for a peaceful protest in front of the Serbian National Theatre. According to the Plenum, groups of “masked radicals” were brought in deliberately and engaged in physical attacks while police reportedly remained passive observers.
“This is further proof that the regime defends itself with fists,” the Plenum said, accusing state institutions of complicity rather than protection of students. They claim that some of the attackers have extensive police records, including involvement in previous assaults on students, such as one incident in which a student at the Academy of Arts suffered a broken jaw.
The accusations also singled out Miloš Vučević, former Prime Minister and ex-Mayor of Novi Sad, now an advisor to Vučić. The Plenum claims Vučević was surrounded by reinforced police security and individuals linked to violent incidents. He addressed the ceremony after Vučić canceled his appearance at the last minute, reportedly due to a planned protest “in his honor.”
Journalists were also targeted. The Plenum stated that the attack on reporter Žarko Bogosavljević was a result of deliberate targeting by the Center for Social Stability, which had previously published a list of journalists’ names. “Serbia does not need another case like Ćuruvija,” they warned, referring to the assassination of journalist Slavko Ćuruvija.
In response, the Plenum has urged all citizens who suffered violence during the events to report incidents in a joint online database, aiming to ensure that every registered case is addressed once the current government is no longer in power.
