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In the early morning hours of July 29, between approximately 3 and 4 a.m., around 20 masked individuals entered the main building of Serbia's State University of Novi Pazar, where a group of students had been staging an ongoing protest occupation. Witnesses reported that some of the individuals shouted “Fire, everyone out immediately,” prompting the students to evacuate the premises.
Shortly afterward, University Rector Zana Dolicanin arrived with a group of faculty members, accompanied by an estimated 30 uniformed police officers and private security personnel, reportedly hired from the town of Kraljevo. The operation appeared to have been coordinated to restore administrative control over the university facilities, which had been occupied since late 2024 as part of a broader nationwide protest movement.
The incident prompted an immediate response from local residents and protest supporters. Demonstrators gathered outside the university and later at the local police station, where they demanded the release of individuals reportedly detained during the intervention.
Police confirmed that ten people were arrested in connection with the protests, though specific charges have not yet been publicly detailed.
Following the intervention at the State University of Novi Pazar, government officials stated that the action was taken in coordination with university leadership to restore academic operations. Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic explained that the university had requested assistance to ensure normal functioning could resume, particularly in light of upcoming entrance examinations.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic addressed the incident later the same day. In his statement, he called for calm and respect for the law, affirming that all citizens are equal under the Constitution. He rejected claims that the operation was politically or ethnically motivated and warned against what he described as the risk of “ethnic and religious extremism,” without specifying any concrete examples.
The Novi Pazar case has drawn particular attention due to the city’s demographic composition. Located in the Sandzak region, Novi Pazar is home to a significant Bosniak minority population.
While the protest at the university was not organized along ethnic lines, it has reopened debate about the political representation of minorities and the role of local Bosniak parties, two of which are currently aligned with the ruling coalition.
As of Aug. 1, neither of the two coalition-aligned Bosniak parties had issued detailed statements on the university intervention. Analysts note that their continued silence may affect their standing among younger voters, many of whom have participated in or expressed support for the protest movement.
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