Serbia Braces for Dual Rallies as Student Protests Challenge Vucic's Leadership

Student-led demonstrations against corruption and government accountability coincide with a pro-Vucic rally, highlighting deep divisions on Serbia's Statehood Day.

• Student protests began after a fatal railway station canopy collapse in Novi Sad, which killed 15 people and is widely attributed to government corruption.
• The movement has expanded into Serbia's largest protests in decades, with students organizing blockades, rallies, and daily assemblies to demand accountability.
• President Aleksandar Vucic has accused the movement of foreign interference while organizing a pro-government rally to counter the students' gathering in Kragujevac.
• The protests have already led to the resignation of Serbia's prime minister and other officials, but students insist on further reforms and justice for the victims.
• The student movement's decentralized and democratic structure has made it resilient to government infiltration and a significant challenge to Vucic's decade-long rule.

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