Protests that began in December last year, among citizens and part of the political opposition against President Aleksandar Vučić and the Serbian government were radicalised in mid-March when a group of protesters – led by some opposition leaders – entered the premises of national broadcaster Radio-Television Serbia (RTS) to demand that they be permitted to address Serbian citizens directly in a broadcast.
The RTS editorial board rejected the protestors’ request, with police stepping in to move protesters away from RTS’s premises. The next day saw a section of protesters surround the building of the Serbian Presidency in an attempt to address President Vučić followers his statement to the public. Apart from Belgrade, these protests, dubbed ‘#1 of 5 million’, have taken place in Novi Sad, Niš, Kragujevac and more than 50 towns across Serbia.