Serbian diaspora rallies behind student protesters in global solidarity
08 February 2025
Following the canopy collapse at Novi Sad’s railway station and the ensuing anti-corruption protests, the Serbian diaspora has organised dozens of demonstrations worldwide in recent weeks, showing overwhelming support for student protesters back home.
From New York, Washington D.C., and Toronto, to Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin, and Vienna, they all echo a common sentiment: unwavering support for institutional change and, for many, a longing for a Serbia they could one day return to. Some of these gatherings amassed thousands of people, with banners that read "Students, we got your back" and "I didn't want to look for a better country, I want my country to look better."
But this support extends beyond the streets. US-based entrepreneur and CEO of IT company CAKE.com, Nenad Milanović, allocated RSD 2,000,000 (around €17,000) to help the students, only for his company's website to be hacked relentlessly for 48 hours after announcing his donation on X. The attack, he suspects, originated from the pro-government camp.
Meanwhile, podrzistudente.org, another US-based campaign, boasts over $60,000 (€58,000) in donations on their website, and in Europe, the Serbian community in the Netherlands has collected over €15,000 for supplies sent directly to universities across Serbia. Since students don't accept money donations to fund their protest actions, support arrives in the form of mattresses, sleeping bags, space heaters, food, and materials for protest banners.
 | Nevena Vračar Much like the protests in Serbia, the diaspora movement aims to be non-partisan, democratic, and decentralised. Social media has become its engine, and it's fuelled by a new wave of diaspora influencers – content creators with a strong online presence who write about their life abroad for an expat audience. One such voice, Olivera Vukašinović, a blogger and podcaster in the Netherlands, sees the emergence of diaspora mobilisation as a generational shift: "After the wars and refugee migration in the '90s, a new diaspora had to emerge – one that could unite us outside of our churches or embassies, formal organisations that revolve around ethnic and religious differences. TikTok and Instagram are platforms where we can come together united by our democratic values. And in just a few clicks, things escalate." |
Welcome to The European Correspondent
Europe lacks true European media: in Germany alone, there are more media devoted exclusively to football than news outlets specialising on Europe. The established players mainly focus on Brussels and European institutions. The European Correspondent aims to change that. We cover the whole of Europe and write for a community of citizens who want to look beyond their own national borders. Without European journalism, there is no European civil society.
〉Read our manifesto
〉The stories we would like to write for you
Become a donor!
The European Correspondent is fully funded by its readers. We can only produce the newsletter with your support - and work towards the bigger project: building true European media. Donate now!
With your help, we can create true European journalism. Thank you!
We are non-profit. Every donated € goes directly into The European Correspondent.