Another protest held outside Novi Sad Faculty of Philosophy: Students, professors demand dean’s resignation

The demonstration was marked by a heavy police presence, with riot police forming a cordon to block access to the faculty building, where Dean Milivoje Alanovic and a select group of employees remained barricaded inside.

The standoff began Tuesday morning when Dean Alanovic, accompanied by ten chosen employees, entered the blockaded faculty, changed the locks, and announced that disciplinary actions would be taken against anyone disrupting the faculty’s operations. Since then, the dean has remained inside, escalating tensions with students and faculty members demanding his resignation.

During Thursday’s protest, professors highlighted the students’ prolonged but fruitless negotiations with the dean, stating that his resignation is the only viable resolution. On Wednesday, students had proposed a compromise to allow exams to proceed in the faculty building if the police and Dean Alanovic vacated the premises. The dean rejected the proposal, calling it an ultimatum. This refusal led to clashes, with the gendarmerie deploying pepper spray and physically repelling protesters, resulting in injuries among students, professors, and local residents.

Solidarity protests in support of the Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad, condemning the violation of university autonomy and the use of force by the regime and police, also took place on Thursday evening in Cacak, Belgrade, Uzice, and other cities.