The rally was held in support of veterinarian Aleksandar Vasov after he was accused of nationalism and chauvinism by Nebojsa Bakarec, an MP from the ruling Serbian Progressive Party. The allegations were published last week by several Serbian media outlets.

Participants said the protest was a message against hate speech and ethnic division. Speakers from Tsaribrod, Pirot, Bela Palanka, Nis and Bulgaria expressed solidarity with Vasov and support for unity and mutual respect in Serbia.

Vasov said that he would file a defamation lawsuit against Bakarec to defend both his reputation and that of the Bulgarian national minority in Serbia. He rejected the accusations and said he openly supports Serbia’s academic community and the student movement but does not belong to any political party.

He added that he would consider it an honour to stand as an independent parliamentary candidate if invited by the student movement, praising its role in the anti-government protests that followed the deadly collapse of the Novi Sad railway station canopy in November 2024.

Vasov thanked protesters for their support, saying the rally demonstrated that democracy in Serbia has strong foundations and continues to develop.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic recently said parliamentary elections would be held by the end of 2026 and that he would step down as president to lead the ruling Serbian Progressive Party’s candidate list.