Over the weekend of 15–17 May 2026, the team from Believers for Peace (Azra, Marija, Nadežda, Otto, Zlatko and Ana; Emir and Adnan were unable to attend) went to Belgrade. We organised a study trip, during which we visited the JRS (Jesuit Refugee Service). We also hosted an evening discussion. We introduced ourselves as an initiative. After Otto had spoken about the initiative, we outlined our core ideas on the topic of the discussion, drawing on key concepts from the conference in Omiš (spirituality, will and courage). The discussion went on for a while, longer than planned. Our stay in Belgrade was very important for us, not least to witness first-hand the current situation regarding the non-violent resistance movement – the largest of its kind in Europe. I am writing this to keep you informed, but also with the aim of encouraging you to support this movement where possible.
• It is admirable that morale and the courage to resist have not waned. The protests, which have been ongoing since November 2024 – that is, for a year and a half – have not been silenced. This is despite the repression and despite the ruling authorities’ attempts to sow confusion amongst the public by mimicking the protesters’ actions. This tactic of imitation is currently being employed: the students have launched their latest campaign under the slogan ‘THE STUDENTS WILL WIN’. The government-led counter-campaign is called ‘Serbia Will Win’.
• The message ‘Students will win’ can be found in the form of stickers everywhere in Belgrade – on the streets, on road signs, in restaurants, on walls and on doors. The message ‘Students will win’ is so powerful; it is encouraging. It inspires the hope that shines in the faces of the Belgrade residents we met. The protest cannot be silenced.
• Belgrade University supports the students. This is evident on the streets of Belgrade, despite the counter-protests organised by the government, known as Ćaciland. The Rector’s Office and the Faculty of Philosophy are both located in the city centre. They are covered in posters expressing support, such as ‘IT IS NOT PHILOSOPHICAL TO REMAIN SILENT’. A sign at the university’s Rector’s Office reads: ‘WE SUPPORT THE STUDENTS’.
• The most moving sight is a large poster on one of the streets in the city centre that reads: STUDENTS, THANK YOU.
• The repression is insidious but shows no sign of letting up. Recently, yet another car drove into the crowd of protesters and struck an elderly man. He is no longer in a life-threatening condition.
At the end of March, the Faculty of Philosophy was searched by the police. The reason was the death of a student, which occurred at the university but was not directly linked to the protests. The Vice-Chancellor was inside the faculty buildings while the police were searching them. During the search, which lasted ten hours, he wrote his speech. That evening, he addressed the assembled citizens. What I found remarkable was that, on several occasions in the video recording, you can hear some of those gathered asking for silence so they could hear what he was saying, as the speech was important to them: ‘Be quiet so we can hear what he’s saying,’ someone would say repeatedly. It is not all that common for such attention to be paid to the content of a speech during protests. And the speech was well worth listening to. It ended with the phrase “Nije u zlobi, u znanju je moć” – “Not in envy, but in knowledge lies power”.
• Six students were recently brought before the court. The charges are: treason and threatening the state. They each appeared in their national dress. This attire sends a powerful message: it is not we who have endangered the state, but you who are putting the people on trial.
• The resistance in Serbia – the largest in Europe – continues. The focus is on the general election. No one knows when it will take place; hopes are pinned on the end of 2026, perhaps spring 2027. The local elections a month ago show that never before have so many voted against the ruling party, and never before have so many people turned out to vote. The results of the latest elections in Hungary give us the courage to believe that we can indeed achieve something against electoral manipulation and fraud.
• Academic institutions and teaching staff – in other words, the education sector – have shouldered the greatest burden in providing support. Furthermore, they have borne the brunt of the sanctions (wage cuts or dismissals in the already precarious position of teachers in Serbia). On the other hand, public respect for universities, professors and teachers has increased. As a reward, they have received the appreciation of the public.
The political structures (governments, political parties, even the media) are doing far too little to support the non-violent movement in Serbia. It’s a disgrace. My own country is no exception. Europe seems to be more committed to the violence of war than to non-violence. But we can do what we can, as far as possible, and take action wherever our influence reaches. We can pass on THE NEWS, the INFORMATION about the resistance in Serbia. We can keep ourselves informed and inform others too. If we have access to local or national decision-makers, we can raise the issue.
Wherever you have access to national political structures or EU bodies, we can hold them to account and support the efforts of Serbian citizens to achieve greater democracy.
