Riot police, Gendarmerie troopers break up Novi Sad protest

The students protesting their expulsion from the school gave the dean who threw them out and the police deadlines to leave the building, both of which were not met.

Protesters, with women professors and military veterans standing in the front line towards the police, tried to push their way through the riot police cordon but were pushed back with shields and pepper spray. The protesters held their hands in the air to show that they were not assaulting the police who used batons along with their shields.

A detachment of Gendarmerie troopers was sent in to reinforce the riot police, surrounding the protesters. Both the riot police and Gendarmerie troopers wore face masks.

The situation calmed somewhat with the protesters calling the riot police and Gendarmerie troopers traitors before both cordons pushed the crowd away.

A riot police officer ordered the crowd away from the entrance to the school but the order was disregarded.

Earlier, a panel discussion was organized in front of the riot police cordon to debate the situation.

Tensions ran high at the School of Philosophy for a second day after the dean and a group of professors forced their way into the building and threw out the students who had been there for months. The students posted videos of the professors helping themselves to food and other supplies donated to the students by members of the public.