Small-scale protests broke out across Serbia on February 18, as students and farmers demonstrated over political and economic grievances.

The demonstrations followed two nights of clashes with police in Belgrade and Novi Sad, but, unlike the mass mobilisations of 2025, they were relatively small.

In Belgrade, students gathered in a park on February 17 to protest the authorities’ handling of an earlier demonstration in Novi Sad and the fencing off of parkland for a new aquarium linked to the Expo 2027 project. Videos on social media showed riot police pursuing and arresting protesters.

Earlier this week in Novi Sad, protesters clashed with supporters of President Aleksandar Vucic outside the National Theatre during a ceremony marking the 200th anniversary of Matica Srpska, a leading cultural institute. Several protesters were reportedly injured. Speaking to pro-government television on February 17, Vucic appeared to justify the confrontations, portraying protesters as aggressors.

Farmers staged road blockades in six locations after talks with Agriculture Minister Dragan Glamočić on import restrictions for fruit, vegetables, milk and cheese failed to yield results.

The protests trace back to a fatal railway station canopy collapse in Novi Sad in November 2024, which killed 16 people and sparked accusations of government negligence and corruption. While last year’s demonstrations drew tens of thousands, this year’s unrest has been smaller and more sporadic.

Vucic is expected to call snap elections later this year, a long-standing demand of student activists. The opposition remains fragmented and unpopular. Students have largely avoided aligning with traditional parties, limiting their ability to translate street support into electoral gains.