Residents reclaim Belgrade park after two-year occupation ends

On the morning of Tuesday, October 27, residents of Belgrade gathered with bin bags to restore a small park that had been closed to the public for 18 months. The cleanup took place at Pioneers Park, located opposite the national assembly, following the parliamentary election victory of the Student List movement.

The park, which features mature trees and a playground, was occupied by a pro-government camp known as Ćaciland. During the 18-month period, the site housed convicted criminals in white tents. Residents reported that police observed violent confrontations without intervening, and the area was effectively off limits to anyone who approached too closely.

The occupation ended abruptly on election night. Shortly after polls closed, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced at the headquarters of the governing Serbian Progressive party that the party had suffered a comprehensive defeat. Vučić stated that he did not want unrest on the streets. Following this announcement, riot police stepped back, barriers around the park were removed, and a group of masked men who had assembled earlier in the day left the area quickly.

In the hours before the official results, Student List supporters ransacked the camp and set fire to several tents. The next morning, hundreds of volunteers joined municipal workers to restore the site. The group dismantled damaged tents and disinfected the swings, slides, and climbing frames.

Radomir Dalic, a volunteer, combed the grass for cigarette butts and litter. He described the removal of the camp as a victory over "criminals with violent intentions towards us." Another volunteer, Tamara Tomic, said while wearing yellow rubber gloves that the effort demonstrated a collective desire to live a normal life without violence.

The Student List movement operates without a formal hierarchy or a single leader. Its candidates were selected through student assemblies and include academics, athletes, economists, and engineers. The group published an 11-point plan that prioritizes anti-corruption measures, judicial reform, media freedom, affordable housing, and healthcare improvements, including a pledge to place a doctor in every village. The movement did not name a prime ministerial candidate before the vote.

Kurt Bassuener, co-founder of the Democratization Policy Council, warned that fissures in a broad coalition can appear soon after victory. He said he hoped the movement had a plan with credible people ready for each government portfolio. Ilija Srdanović, the first-ranked candidate and a cardiologist at the university in Novi Sad, said the movement aims to avoid a cult of personality. He noted that his ranking did not make him prime minister and that numerous other candidates could fill that role.

Questions remain regarding foreign policy. Vučić warned that a Student List government would sanction Russia and recognize Kosovo's declaration of independence. However, Michael Davenport, a former EU and UK ambassador to Serbia, noted that there was no consensus among the movement's supporters on EU accession, Bosnia and Herzegovina, or Kosovo. As drivers passed the cleanup crew on Monday, many honked their horns in support of the restoration work.