Around 150,000 people rallied in central Belgrade on Thursday in support of a student-led opposition movement ahead of Sunday's parliamentary elections in Serbia.

The independent Archive of Public Gatherings estimated the crowd size at the event on Slavija Square, where participants waved flags reading "Students are winning," chanted "Victory," and blew whistles. The Student List, a decentralized slate of 250 candidates backed by university students and without a single leader, aims to unseat the right-wing populist Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) that has governed since 2012.

The protests originated in November 2024 after the collapse of a concrete canopy at the renovated Novi Sad railway station, which killed 16 people. Demonstrators linked the tragedy to alleged government corruption and negligence. The movement expanded into broader calls for accountability, early elections, and systemic change.

Aleksandar Vučić, who resigned the presidency last month to run as prime minister, held a separate closing campaign rally the same day in New Belgrade. He told supporters he expects a decisive victory and accused the student movement of representing a foreign-funded attempt to destabilize the country.

Civil society groups have raised concerns about the campaign environment, citing reports of intimidation, arrests, attacks on activists, and misuse of public resources. One recent poll showed the Student List slightly ahead of the SNS, though the ruling party maintains strong institutional control.

The Sunday vote represents Vučić's most significant electoral test in over a decade. The SNS has dominated Serbian politics through multiple roles for the veteran leader, who previously served as prime minister before becoming president.