Police beat students at Novi Sad City Assembly, student claims excessive use of force

Novi Sad students had blocked entrances to the City Assembly ahead of a scheduled budget vote and over 160 other agenda items. Their plan was to occupy the area overnight without entering the building. The spontaneous action included calls for professors and the public to join them. However, police intervention escalated to force against some students, causing injuries before gendarmerie deployment stabilized the situation.

During the confrontation, students chanted “go to Kosovo” multiple times. They attempted to reason with officers, explaining they were on the same side and pleading with police to remove their masks. The situation eventually calmed.

Professors and local residents subsequently brought blankets and foam insulation so that the students could endure the extremely cold night outside the City Assembly.

N1’s reporter said a group of students spent the night in the area. The Assembly remained cordoned off with police present, who intervened again shortly after 2 am.

Faculty of Philosophy student Jovana told N1 that students raised their hands when approached by police, saying she believes that they used excessive force.

“First, three inspectors appeared and warned reinforcements would arrive in 20-25 minutes, but they came sooner. We saw six gendarmerie vehicles pass by, then police arrived, and I started running. Without warning, they claimed we were illegally occupying the space and demanded that we leave. No one protested or contradicted them, we just fled. When we reached the second row of barricades, the police began throwing those barriers at us. Whether intentional or not, they started pushing us, trapping many students between two police lines and metal barriers. In my opinion, they used excessive force because we raised our hands when they approached,” Jovana explained.

After a previous session on January 24, when heavy police forces secured the building and a new mayor, Zarko Micin, was elected, the students condemned the undemocratic atmosphere in which the session took place, announcing their attendance at the next session. In December, the session was canceled three times, and requests from student representatives to address the councilors were denied. Due to the inability to hold a session in December, Novi Sad entered 2025 without a budget.