In Belgrade, Serbia, thousands protested against a $500 million luxury development project linked to Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law. The project, planned for the site of the former Yugoslav Army headquarters, which was destroyed during the 1999 NATO bombing campaign, has sparked outrage due to alleged corruption and historical significance. The government has fast-tracked the project by classifying it as “urgent,” despite legal challenges and claims that the development erases a painful part of national history. Critics also fear the replacement of the ruins with luxury towers will erase a painful part of national history.
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Sound cannons, devices capable of emitting intensely loud and potentially harmful sound waves, were reportedly used by Serbian authorities against peaceful protestors. This action sparked widespread outrage and condemnation, highlighting the serious ethical and potential physical consequences of such technology deployed against civilians exercising their right to peaceful assembly. The sheer power of these devices, capable of causing permanent hearing damage, is undeniably alarming. Accounts describe the effects as causing immediate, visceral reactions – far beyond simple discomfort.
The deployment of sound cannons during a fifteen-minute silence, a moment of remembrance for fifteen individuals who lost their lives, added another layer of moral repugnance to the situation.… Continue reading
Massive student-led protests, the largest in Serbian history, erupted following a deadly railway station collapse attributed to government corruption and negligence. Demonstrations, fueled by widespread anger over government accountability and authoritarian rule, have spread nationwide, encompassing various social groups. The protests, unlike previous opposition-led movements, are characterized by a decentralized student-led structure, effectively circumventing state-controlled media. Despite government attempts at appeasement, including a ministerial resignation, the protests continue, driven by youth unemployment and a desire for democratic reform.
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On New Year’s Eve, tens of thousands of protesters, primarily university students, demonstrated in Belgrade and other Serbian cities, demanding political reforms and justice following the November 1st collapse of a concrete canopy in Novi Sad that killed 15. The protests, under the slogan “There is No New Year — You Still Owe Us for the Old One,” cite corruption and substandard construction as causes of the tragedy, blaming the populist Serbian leadership. While the government indicted 13 individuals, protesters remain unsatisfied, calling for further accountability for alleged corrupt dealings during the train station renovation.
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John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood