Thousands of students and citizens assembled outside the former General Staff building (Generalstab in Serbian) in downtown Belgrade on Monday to commemorate the anniversary of the NATO bombing of the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and protest the government’s treatment of the historic structure.
The former General Staff building , which served as the headquarters of the Yugoslav People’s Army, was constructed between 1953 and 1964 and designed by renowned architect Nikola Dobrovic. Largely destroyed during the 1999 NATO bombing, the building was declared a cultural landmark in 2005. However, this status was revoked in November 2024, with plans to allow Jared Kushner, the current US President’s son-in-law, to build a hotel on the site.
On Monday, a group of citizens and students marched from the Ministry of Culture to the Constitutional Court, where they submitted a petition challenging the constitutionality of the decision to revoke the General Staff building’s protected cultural monument status.
“We expect a positive outcome. What happened to the General Staff building is a disgrace and a disrespect to the victims, our people, and everything we stand for. We are determined to fight for our history, and in doing so, for our future,” a student told N1.
Another group began their march from the Chamber of Engineers, and both groups converged in front of the General Staff building at 3 pm. At the gathering, attendees signed a public initiative to be presented to the Serbian Parliament, calling for the restoration of the building’s protected cultural monument status.
Several speeches were delivered, emphasizing that the treatment of the General Staff building sets a dangerous precedent that could threaten other cultural heritage sites in the country.
“The General Staff building stands as the last bastion and symbol of the NATO bombing. Today, they want to take that away from us too, and we won’t allow it,” a student said, reminding all those present of the consequences of the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. The participants observed a moment of silence to honor the victims of the 1999 NATO bombing.
Concluding the protest, participants marched to Tasmajdan Park, where they laid flowers and wreaths at a monument dedicated to the children victims of the NATO aggression. They held another minute of silence for those who lost their lives during the bombing of the Serbian state TV (RTS) building.
