Shocking scenes unfolded outside the University of Belgrade when a car reversing into a crowd struck and injured a 90-year-old man during a student demonstration. The incident occurred near the Faculty of Law, where students and citizens were observing 16 minutes of silence to honor victims of the November 1, 2024, railway station roof collapse tragedy in Novi Sad.
Driver attempts to breach protest line
The driver reportedly tried to forcibly drive through the peaceful gathering — a common tactic seen in recent anti-government protests across Serbia. Security volunteers blocked the vehicle’s initial advance. After exiting the car, the driver allegedly assaulted several people, including striking a law student. He then reversed the vehicle, hitting the elderly man before attempting to flee.
Students described the event on Instagram: “A driver attempted to violently cross the intersection where citizens and students were gathered. A scuffle broke out; the driver exited his vehicle and hit our colleague — a law student — then reversed and struck a man approximately 90 years old who was standing with us at the intersection.”
Police intervene after delayed response
Police, who had been monitoring the scene without intervening, stepped in only after the collision and arrested the driver. The injured man was rushed by ambulance to the Emergency Care Center, where medical staff confirmed a femur fracture.
Pattern of vehicle attacks against protesters
This is not the first time vehicles have targeted demonstrators in Serbia since the Novi Sad disaster — which killed 16 people and sparked widespread student-led blockades and protests. In January 2025, a female student suffered serious injuries when a car drove into a student-held intersection in central Belgrade. Later that same month, another young protester was hit by a vehicle during a demonstration in New Belgrade. In that same incident, a female student sustained severe injuries after being run over and thrown onto the road.
Notably, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić granted pardons in early 2025 to both the driver involved in the January attack — who faced attempted murder charges — and four activists from his ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), who attacked students with baseball bats in Novi Sad.