Thousands of people gathered outside a pro-government television station in Serbia on Saturday (March 30, 2025) to protest against a propaganda campaign targeting university students involved in ongoing anti-corruption protests that have been challenging President Aleksandar Vucic.
Informer TV is known to support Mr. Vucic and his right-wing government, and has been portraying student protesters as extremists throughout the almost five months of continuous street demonstrations.
Protest against pro-government media in Serbia
While the protests have remained peaceful, pro-government media outlets have accused the organizers of inciting violence and attempting to overthrow the government with foreign backing, without providing any evidence for these claims.
One student, Ivona Markovic, stated, “For months now, ever since the blockades started, we have been their target, we have been constantly smeared in the media.”
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The protests initially started following a tragic incident in November when a canopy collapsed at a train station in northern Serbia, resulting in the death of 16 individuals. This event shed light on widespread government corruption, leading to demands for accountability and political reforms.
Pressure on authoritarian populist President
The ongoing protests have been putting pressure on President Vucic, who has been criticized for his increasingly authoritarian rule. Despite formally seeking EU membership for Serbia, he has maintained strong ties with Russia and China.
Mr. Vucic has vowed to counter the protests, with authorities even threatening legal action against university professors, including the arrest of Vladan Djokic, the head dean at Belgrade University.
During his visit to a camp of his supporters outside the presidency building, including pro-government university students, Mr. Vucic stated that those causing chaos at the university would be held accountable.
The student protests have garnered widespread support, resonating with citizens disillusioned with political figures. Demonstrators, wearing protective white suits, staged a symbolic “decontamination” performance outside the Informer TV building. They created a “wall of shame” displaying Informer’s biased headlines about the protests, including unfounded claims of a planned “bloody coup.” The students also initiated a petition to restrict the television station’s broadcasting frequencies. The protest, named “DisInformer,” was scheduled to last for six hours.
The students declared, “This is a media battle between Informer and students, between falsehoods and truths, abuse of power and resistance. They (Informer) do not inform, they persecute.” On the same day, Informer received support from high-ranking government officials, with the defense minister describing the protest outside the building as a “hostage crisis.”
Informer holds significant influence in Serbia, where independent media outlets face challenges in visibility and where critical journalists encounter pressure, smear campaigns, and legal threats.
Published – March 30, 2025 01:58 am IST
