Serbia: towards a general strike!

In November, a concrete canopy collapsed at the newly inaugurated train station in Novi Sad, killing 15. Since then, a huge protest movement has swept the country, condemning the criminal negligence of the authorities which led to this tragedy. This movement has continued to escalate, with a series of student occupations and calls for a general strike.

[An earlier version of this article was originally published 25 December 2024 on crvenakritika.org]

Since our previous article, things have considerably accelerated in Serbia. The youth has taken center stage in the most inspiring movement since the fall of Milošević.

Having sent its low-level officials and thugs against students and high schoolers who were attending roadblocks, the regime, instead of causing fear, provoked an avalanche of anger from the youth. The Faculty of Dramatic Arts (FDU) was one of the targets where police physically attacked a student. The students of that faculty responded a week later by occupying their faculty and demanding that criminal charges be filed against those responsible for the attack.

On the other hand, the pressure exerted by the ruling politicians on the  prestigious gymnasiums of Karlovci and Novi Sad – where students joined the teachers in the ‘Serbia stop!’ movement – also caused a response that the regime did not expect. 

In Sremski Karlovci, the mayor himself came out of his offices to oppose their road blockade, while some of his staff called the students names. In Novi Sad, the school principal shamefully apologised after the Prime Minister Miloš Vučević, whose son attends that school, accused teachers of ‘using’ the students for political purposes. In response to this, the school students of Sremski Karlovci carried banners to the next protest in Novi Sad, asserting that they took part of their own free will, while a few days later a public class was held in front of the Novi Sad gymnasium, as a sign of protest against the apology of the principal.

Students march with banner saying "General strike – students and workers in solidarity" / Image: N1

But what started as a few sparks within the youth, turned quickly into a thunderstorm! Only a week after the beginning of the occupation of FDU, students from other faculties started occupation of their own faculties, demanding the same as the students of FDU, and supporting the demands of the general movement: that those responsible for the fall of the concrete canopy in Novi Sad, which killed 15 people, face criminal charges, as well as the publication of all documentation related to that project. 

After a couple of days, over 50 higher education institutions had been occupied, including all faculties in the three biggest cities! Students have organised themselves into democratic plenums, in which they can jointly decide on the further direction of the movement.

Unprecedented movement

Faculty occupations have happened before in Serbia, but not on this scale. Even the Faculty of Theology has stopped. One symptom of revolutions is the movement of socially conservative layers into struggle. 

The struggle resonated throughout the former Yugoslavia and beyond. Solidarity with Serbian students was shown by students from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Slovenia, Macedonia, and even Poland.

Inspired by the faculty occupations, high school students adopted the same method of struggle, and in some cases occupied their schools. This is unprecedented! The last memory of high school occupations takes us back to the interwar period when Communist Youth members led school strikes. 

The demand of the students from the Novi Sad gymnasium is the withdrawal of the apology to the Prime Minister and a demand for an apology from the principal to the professors whom the Prime Minister targeted, as well as permission to attend ‘Stop Serbia’ movements without sanctions and with the support of the school. The principal and a couple of rotten professors tried to enter the school, and the students stoically refused, insisting that it was a voted decision of the school students. 

At the parent council of that school, only three votes were against the occupation, with all others supporting it. In his despair, the principal knelt outside the school and prayed, appealing to the heavenly powers when the earthly ones had betrayed him. Later on, another public class was held, in which ex-school students, parents and teachers all stood in solidarity with the occupying school students. In the meantime, their demands have been fulfilled and the occupation has stopped.

With their movement, the students have released the long-accumulated anger that exists among adults as well. The pressure of the regime has affected every part of society, including the universities. The student blockades are supported by many professors and even deans, who have given the students recognition for doing what they were afraid to. Even the professors of the University of North Kosovo, which was very tightly controlled by Belgrade, supported the students. The teachers, who have been in a prolonged strike, connected their struggle with the students. 

Meanwhile, the farmers of Serbia brought food to the students at the blockades. They did this in response to the regime trying to maneuver to push through the arrival of the mining company Rio Tinto, which is a project that the Serbian masses reject. Solidarity was shown by many citizens, and videos are circulating on the internet of how all worked together to equip the students with supplies for blockades. The students were also supported by numerous actors, sportspeople and singers.

The regime is terrified

The universities are brimming with energy. On New Years eve, students in Belgrade, Novi Sad and Niš decided to skip celebrations and instead stage a protest. In Novi Sad, the march from the campus to the city centre was supported by many residents from their balconies, while students made noise and raised their gradebooks. In the city centre they held a classical music performance, and read poetry related to the struggle. During the countdown for the New Year, there was 15 minutes of silence for the 15 victims, which was in very sharp contrast to the fireworks which were firing in the background.

The regime is afraid of this movement. President Vučić says that he is listening to young people and understands them, then he threatens them with special forces and accuses them of being part of foreign interference. When he announced yet another address to the nation, students gathered in front of the presidency to protest and make noise during his address. Whistles and slogans could be heard during the broadcast and could not be tuned out. "Who asked you anything?" was the response of the students to the dialogue request sent to them by the president. 

In his speech, he was visibly defeated, although he tried to pretend that he wasn't. In his public appearances it is clear that he is agitated, and in doubt about the capabilities of his party and the legacy which he will be remembered for. In his New Years interview, he even mentioned the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks, when asked about the student plenums. 

The ruling parties keep talking about a ‘colour’ revolution. According to them it is not the USA, EU, Russia or China who are causing interference, but neighbouring Croatia! This accusation shows the level of their desperation.

Every statement or public appearance by anyone in power is met with anger and protest. The Minister of Education, whose resignation is demanded by the striking teachers, went to the Niš City Council, but the students decided to cut her visit short, storming into the assembly with whistles and slogans. 

Imamo i snimak pic.twitter.com/5NEHlzQgqD

— SanjaCakki (@SCakki) December 22, 2024

The scene of humbled officials leaving the assembly in disbelief showed the real balance of power. A mention of Vučić and the ministers by a moderator at a theater was met with intense heckling and whistling. Farmers are demanding the resignation of the Minister of Agriculture.

Towards a general strike!

With the decline of morale in the regime, the question of the fall of the government has to be posed. The students have proposed a general strike at the University of Belgrade. Even individuals from the opposition parties have dared to state that the situation is leading towards a general strike, although the presence of the opposition parties at the protests is not too welcomed, and most of the union leaders are timid. 

In Belgrade, on 22 December, a large protest was held at Slavija Square in which students, farmers, pensioners and ordinary people came together, with tens of thousands of people present. According to some reports, up to 100,000 people came. A showdown is underway and the movement has yet to reach its peak.

After a scuffle between opposition leader Dragan Đilas and activists of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, US Ambassador Christopher Hill said that people from both sides of politics need to calm down a bit and that he is in regular communication with the opposition. He pointed out that actually both the government and the opposition want to join the European Union, a move which the US supports. But what he was really saying between the lines is that the situation is slipping out of the hands of both the government and the opposition.

On the other hand, we say that a general strike is exactly the way forward! It would show that the masses in Serbia are stronger than the politicians and the ruling class, and that the time has come for them to fulfill every demand – including the demand for the resignation of the government and of the president. 

Indictments have been raised by the High Court in Novi Sad, but only low level officials, such as engineers, have been taken into custody. The top responsible officials, such as the last Minister of Infrastructure, remain at liberty. We obviously cannot expect justice for the crime in Novi Sad from the current government. Vučić and the Serbian Progressive Party just need that one blow to break the whole machinery. 

We also have to warn: The youth is often the inspiration for the involvement of the working class, but only the working class can stop the levers of the economy, which would force the government to its knees. What could be done? We invite the students’ assemblies to send delegations to the trade unions, to every factory and workplace in order to build for a general strike. The situation calls for a resolution and we must push for victory for the masses and not lose the moment!

Down with Vučić!

Down with the Serbian Progressive Party!

The government must resign!

Justice for the victims!

Punishment for those responsible!

Students and workers united in struggle!

Towards a general strike!