I recently spoke with a group of young people from across Serbia, some still in school and others who had recently finished it. They shared their experiences of human rights activism, including peaceful protests and school blockades in recent months.
The protests began with university students and were later joined by school children. They were sparked by the collapse of the newly renovated train station canopy in Novi Sad on 1 November 2024, which killed 16 people, and a violent attack on a peaceful student vigil for the victims three weeks later.
Young defenders said they initially demanded accountability for the tragedy and the attack. As the protests developed, demands varied depending on the situation in each school. In some, they called for accountability for physical attacks on their peers and teachers. In others, they demanded an end to threats. Where teachers had not been paid for the time they were protesting, children called for those wages to be paid.
Listening to these young human rights defenders, I was struck by the level of maturity and self-organisation that many adults could learn from. For example, they described plenary meetings where a school blockade was put to a majority vote. They also told me how, to counter the narrative from some teachers that they were just lazy and trying to skip classes, they came to the school regularly, not to attend classes but to support the blockade. They shared that lists were kept of who was participating in the blockade, and that if the support fell below 50%, it would be stopped. I was impressed that they had even come up with preventing manipulation of attendance records by having children from other years manage the attendance lists. They shared how they had formed working groups to self-organise and how students could participate in different ways, from being responsible for security to cleaning the school or organising fundraising events. And how, on top of it all, they had to keep explaining their stance to teachers and parents, over and over.
While in some schools teachers supported children and suspended classes, I was told that many did not have that support from their teachers. This is unsurprising, as I have previously heard from HRDs that university professors and teachers who supported the protests have faced reprisals, including salary suspensions, drastic pay cuts, defamation, and even charges.
The young defenders also told me about the backlash they faced for peaceful school blockades, ranging from intimidation and verbal attacks by police officers, parents, and teachers to physical violence in some schools. It was disturbing, though again unsurprising because of the information I had received before, to hear about the police inaction.
The defenders shared that instead of listening to what they had to say, the Serbian government chose to condemn and discredit them. They were called “property of the state” and “being used” – offensive words that deny their agency and clearly contradict Convention on the Rights of the Child, a binding treaty Serbia joined on 12 March 2001. They told me these statements angered them but also motivated them to show they are far more mature and capable than they are given credit for.
Under the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, peacefully speaking out and protesting for human rights is recognised as a legitimate and protected human rights activity. This applies to everyone, but the role of young people is particularly crucial. They are both the present and the future of every society, and their peaceful efforts to drive positive change should be fully recognised, valued, and supported.
This meeting has echoed many of the concerns raised back in May by other HRDs from Serbia, and it comes at a critical moment, as protests continue and escalate. I will continue to follow the situation in Serbia closely and raise these serious concerns with the government and other relevant stakeholders.
