EditVučić labels university rector “terrorist” amid escalating protests
Mass arrests and violence in Belgrade spark outrage from opposition and academia as tensions over education policy erupt into political confrontation
In a dramatic escalation of tensions between the Serbian government and the country’s academic community, President Aleksandar Vučić accused the rector of the University of Belgrade, Vladan Dokić, of terrorism and alleged involvement in attempts to “overthrow the state.”
The accusation comes amid mass student protests primarily sparked by proposed reforms to higher education, which have since grown into a wider political confrontation.
Vučić’s comments were delivered during a press conference on 29 June, where he claimed that members of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) would not support university enrollment quotas – a key demand of the student movement. The president condemned Dokić for showing “absolute irresponsibility and frivolity” in his role as a negotiator, and stated that the SNS “will not speak with terrorists or those who have destroyed the state,” naming Dokić among them.
Dokic was one of the speakers at a large student protest held on 28 June at Belgrade’s Slavija Square. He has been a consistent supporter of the student-led blockades of university faculties, which began in response to the November 2024 collapse of a railway platform in Novi Sad that claimed 16 lives.
His appearance at the rally coincided with increasing pressure on academics who have supported the protests – several university professors have faced police questioning and legal proceedings over alleged abuse of office.
While some dialogue took place between Dokić and Prime Minister Djuro Macut, including a meeting on 11 June after which the government disbanded the working group tasked with drafting Serbia’s new Higher Education Law, many of the students’ demands remain unmet. These include clear and enforceable enrollment quotas, the annulment of recent amendments reducing research time for university staff, and a public debate on legislative reforms.
The protest at Slavija ended in violent clashes between demonstrators and police. According to Interior Minister Ivica Dačić, 77 individuals were detained and 48 police officers were injured, one of them seriously. Dačić stated that criminal charges would be filed against 35 of the arrested individuals, and misdemeanor proceedings would be initiated against 26 others. Medical services reported that 22 people were hospitalized, two with serious injuries.
Vučić, at a joint press briefing with Dačić, accused the protesters of issuing “a direct call to civil conflict and attacks on police,” and demanded that the prosecution “stop pretending to be naive.” He praised the police for their “professional restraint” during the intervention and warned that more arrests were forthcoming, stressing that the state “cannot be defeated.”
The student protest movement, organized in part by the initiative “Rebel University,” has mobilized thousands in recent weeks and maintained a blockade near the Serbian government building for 17 consecutive days. While official government figures estimate 36,000 people participated in the 28 June rally, the independent Archive of Public Gatherings claimed their number reached 140,000.
Parallel to the student movement, a camp was erected in central Belgrade by supporters of Vučić and opponents of the university blockades. Clashes between the two groups have further heightened tensions.
In the aftermath of the protest, opposition parties issued strong statements. The centrist Serbia Centre (SRCE) party declared that Vučić “bears full responsibility” for the violence and accused the president of using false claims, including a police report that demonstrators had blocked an ambulance, to discredit the protest. They condemned the arrests and described the government’s actions as a “brutal crackdown” intended to shield “criminals gathered in Pionirski Park.”
The monarchist Renewal Movement of the Kingdom of Serbia (POKS) also condemned the use of force, accusing the government of “crushing the will of the Serbian people with batons and tear gas” on Vidovdan, Serbia’s national religious holiday. “This government does not want dialogue,” the party concluded.
Meanwhile, arrests of students involved in the protests continue. Four students were reportedly detained by order of the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office, including one law student from Nis, who was taken by unidentified officers refusing to provide a legal basis for the arrest.
Vučić reiterated his hardline stance on 29 June, emphasising that he would not grant pardons to those convicted in connection with the protests. “Responsibility is coming,” he said, placing blame not only on the youth involved but also on older citizens he accused of manipulating them for political gain.
Caption: Protesters arrive for a student-led rally in Belgrade, Serbia, 28 June 2025. University students are demanding accountability and calling on early elections after sixteen people died when the canopy of the newly renovated Novi Sad Railway Station collapsed on 01 November 2024. The station, which had been reopened on 5 July 2024 following renovations, was undergoing additional work shortly before the incident. EPA/ANDREJ CUKIC
Updated: June 30, 2025 - 04:05
