Hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of Belgrade on Saturday in what has been described as Serbia's largest protest ever. The demonstrations, led by students, have continued for more than four months, demanding government accountability following the collapse of a concrete and glass canopy at Novi Sad’s railway station in November, which killed 15 people. Protesters blame corruption, negligence, and a lack of transparency under President Aleksandar Vucic’s government for the tragedy.

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The Serbian Interior Ministry estimated attendance at 107,000 people, but an independent monitoring organization, the Public Meeting Archive, placed the figure between 275,000 and 325,000, with the possibility of even higher numbers. The massive turnout saw protesters from across Serbia traveling to the capital by car, motorbike, and on foot. Long convoys of vehicles waved Serbian flags as they made their way toward Belgrade, while tractors and bikers joined the processions. Despite attempts to restrict access, with state railway services and some bus companies suspending routes to Belgrade, demonstrators found ways to reach the capital.

The rally, named "15th for 15," referencing the 15 victims of the Novi Sad disaster, had multiple gathering points across the city before converging at the National Assembly. The streets surrounding the parliament and Slavija Square were packed, with mobile phone and internet services significantly disrupted. Protesters carried banners, blew whistles, and chanted slogans, including “Pump it!,” a phrase that has become emblematic of the movement.

A 15-minute silence was held in memory of the victims, underscoring the gravity of the protest’s core demand—full transparency regarding the railway station’s renovation and a thorough investigation into those responsible. Students insist that all documents related to the Chinese-led renovation project be made public, and they have dismissed the limited papers released by authorities so far as inadequate. They are also calling for prosecutions of those responsible, including former construction minister Goran Vesić, and an end to legal actions against students arrested during earlier protests.

The scale of the demonstrations has presented the most significant challenge yet to Vucic’s rule, which began when his Serbian Progressive Party took power in 2012. While Prime Minister Miloš Vučević announced his resignation in January, he remains in office as it has yet to be ratified by the National Assembly. Vucic, who has closely associated himself with the Novi Sad station renovation, has rejected any calls for his own resignation, dismissing the protests as an attempted "color revolution" supported by foreign influence. In a press conference following the rally, he accused opposition parties of orchestrating a "criminal cartel" and pushing for a "fraudulent interim government." However, the student movement has deliberately distanced itself from political parties, focusing solely on demanding justice and government accountability.

Despite the peaceful nature of the protest, tensions flared at times. In front of the National Assembly, a small encampment of pro-government counter-protesters had set up a defensive line of tractors, facing off against demonstrators. Reports suggested that some of these counter-protesters included members of organized football hooligan groups and veterans of Serbia’s Red Berets special forces unit. A brief violent altercation occurred near the counter-demonstration site, resulting in one man being beaten. Serbian authorities later confirmed that 22 people were arrested, and 56 others were injured during the day’s events.

The movement, initially spearheaded by students, has since gained wider support, with taxi drivers, farmers, and legal professionals joining their cause. Military veterans also participated, receiving a warm welcome from the crowd as they declared their readiness to make citizen’s arrests against those targeting student activists. The student-led protests have seen large-scale occupations of university faculties across Serbia, with protesters refusing to back down until their demands are met.

The protests have drawn international attention, with both the European Union and the United Nations urging the Serbian government to respect the right to demonstrate. Western governments have taken a cautious approach, with some hoping to maintain diplomatic relations with Vucic despite growing unrest. The Serbian president has courted close ties with Donald Trump, recently approving a Trump-branded hotel project in Belgrade. Trump’s son, Don Jr., gave an interview amplifying Vucic’s claims that the protests were foreign-funded and weaponized to incite revolution, though no evidence was provided.

While Vucic has described the student movement as "well-intentioned," he has firmly rejected their demands and insisted that he will not be forced out of office. "I don’t give in to blackmail," he declared before the protest, stating that he would not let demonstrations dictate Serbia’s future. However, the students remain resolute. "We just want a country that works," one student protester stated. "It’s not about which party is in power—we just want institutions that do their jobs properly."

As demonstrations persist, the political crisis in Serbia deepens. Opposition leaders have called for the formation of a transitional "government of experts" to oversee fair elections, arguing that Vucic’s control over the media and state institutions prevents a truly democratic process. The students, however, are focused solely on justice for the victims of the Novi Sad disaster. "We are making progress," one student remarked, "but at this point, none of our demands have been fully met."

With momentum growing and public discontent showing no signs of abating, it appears that Serbia’s largest protest movement in recent history is far from over.