Tens of thousands of university students led a massive protest outside Serbia’s state broadcaster, Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS), on January 17, demanding accountability and impartial reporting in a rally emblematic of growing public discontent with the government.

The demonstration, described as one of the largest in recent years, follows a tragedy on November 1, when a concrete canopy collapsed at Novi Sad's railway station, killing 15 people and injuring several others. The incident has become a flashpoint for anger over alleged government negligence and corruption, igniting a wave of dissent across Serbia.

Students, farmers, opposition groups and other citizens have joined forces in a movement that shows no sign of abating. The Archive of Public Meetings estimated that 53,000 to 55,000 people gathered outside RTS on January 17, under the banner "Our right to know everything," accusing the broadcaster of pro-government bias.

The rally came a day after a car rammed into a group of protesters in Belgrade, seriously injuring a female student. The incident, along with a similar attack in December that injured four members of the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, has added to the criticism of government.

A striking moment during the RTS protest was the unfurling of a banner from within the broadcaster's building that read, "RTS workers are with the students." Demonstrators responded with chants of "Thank you for your support," according to local outlet Nova.

The Novi Sad tragedy has served as a catalyst for a broader wave of dissatisfaction with the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), which has dominated Serbian politics for over a decade. Protesters have cited issues ranging from government corruption to lack of freedom and suppression of dissent.

The Initiative for the Survival of Serbian Farmers, a group that has been vocal in the protests, pledged to physically protect student demonstrators. "Due to the unpleasant events at peaceful protests that are becoming a practice, we will organise the delivery of tractors to the University of Novi Sad to ensure the security of these gatherings," the group said in response to the attack on the student protest on January 16.

Meanwhile, social tensions are being compounded by external pressures. US sanctions targeting Serbia’s oil company NIS have sparked fears of further social fallout, particularly among disgruntled farmers who are now facing the loss of subsidies for cheaper fuel.

For more than two months, daily blockades and protests have disrupted life in Serbian cities, and the government has yet to propose a solution. Opposition parties, though caught off guard by the persistence of student protesters, are now calling for new elections within six to nine months.

Observers have begun to draw comparisons to Otpor, the student-led movement that played a key role in toppling Slobodan Milosevic in 2000. While the current protests remain largely concentrated in the capital Belgrade and the second city Novi Sad, their scale and intensity are testing the resilience of the ruling SNS, with the potential to usher in a broader shift in Serbian politics.