On September 1, 2025, Serbian police used batons, pepper spray, and stun grenades against protesters on the campus of the University of Novi Sad.
On the morning of September 1, the Dean of the Faculty of Sports and Physical Education forcibly regained access to a building occupied by students since November 2024. The blockades were part of a nationwide movement during which students physically occupied university buildings to ensure the complete cessation of academic exercises. The Dean entered the building with police officers in order to change the locks and regain control of the faculty.
Later that afternoon, students gathered in front of the faculty to protest the attempt to break the blockade. Witnesses reported that the protesters stood peacefully in front of the building and shouted slogans. Police intervened in riot gear, using batons and stun grenades to beat and detain people. Several students and citizens reported injuries and arrests.
Scholars at Risk is concerned about the use of force during a student protest. While state authorities have the responsibility to maintain order and prevent disruption, they must refrain from the disproportionate use of force and endangerment of civilians and must respect the right to freedom of association and freedom of expression. Students and members of the public must refrain from violence, especially on campus, and also respect the right to freedom of association and freedom of expression. Such actions, beyond harming the immediate victims, have a chilling effect on academic freedom.
Sources:
*SAR identified this incident in data made publicly available by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED)
https://europeanwesternbalkans.com/2025/09/02/protests-mark-10-months-since-the-novi-sad-railway-station-collapse/
https://serbiantimes.info/en/police-attacked-citizens-in-novi-sad-batons-and-stun-grenades-were-used-demonstrators-pushed-back-to-the-dif-campus/
https://balkaninsight.com/2025/09/01/serbian-dean-breaks-university-faculty-blockade-backed-by-police/