Prominent historian Cedomir Antic has sharply criticized Serbia’s ongoing student protests, labeling them as fundamentally violent anarchist actions during a recent commentary. The academic invoked theories by Norwegian peace researcher Johan Galtung about expanding societal definitions of violent behavior to support his argument.
“From the very beginning, this anarchist model has been violent,” Antic asserted. “Today we recognize forms of violence that would have been dismissed decades ago.” He illustrated his point by comparing changing attitudes toward harassment: “Thirty years ago, people would laugh at harassment complaints – they’d say ‘so what if someone yelled something at you?’ Now it carries prison terms and social consequences. These protesters represent the same dangerous escalation.”
The comments come during sustained student blockades now entering their third month at universities across Serbia. Antic’s analysis aligns with growing government criticism portraying the demonstrations as crossing acceptable boundaries of civil disobedience. His reference to Galtung’s academic framework attempts to position the protests within broader discussions about structural violence and evolving social norms.
Education Minister Branko Ruzic recently made similar statements, calling the blockades “anarchist chaos” threatening academic institutions. Protest organizers counter that their actions constitute peaceful civil disobedience against education reforms they believe will lower standards.
PROFESOR ČEDOMIR ANTIĆ:
"Ovaj anarhistički pokret je od samog početka NASILAN!" pic.twitter.com/mB4EYuxaIg
— Detektor laži (@LaziDetektor) May 2, 2025
