The wave of uprisings against the establishment that spread across the world in 1968 also reached the University of Belgrade. The privileged status of the communist ruling class sparked growing resistance, particularly among students.
The student protests began on the evening of June 2, 1968, in the Students' Campus in Belgrade. The protests were triggered by student dissatisfaction over being unable to attend an event due to pre-reserved seats. Discontented students, in large numbers, marched toward the city, but they were met with brutal police action that halted their progress.
Inspired by the French Revolution, the students of the Faculty of Philosophy quickly organized and occupied the Rectorate building, where they held daily artistic and political events. During this period, many prominent figures visited the students, including actor Stevo Žigon, who performed the famous speech of the leader of the French Revolution, Maximilien Robespierre, from the play "Danton's Death."
The students called for the democratization of society, the abolition of bureaucratic privileges, and the resolution of economic issues, especially unemployment. The protests formally ended with a speech by Josip Broz Tito, president of the SFRY, who acknowledged their demands.
However, repression soon followed, targeting the protest organizers. Some had their passports revoked, several professors were expelled from the university, and some were arrested, while the students' demands ultimately faded into obscurity.
