Video taking off 21x its usual first day

Serbia's student movement takes its protest into an election

The New York Times follows opposition crowds in Belgrade and Vucic's campaign in Nis as a parliamentary vote tests the reach of student-led protests.

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The New York Times Story of October 26, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? The video opened at a pace of 578,608 views a day, 21 times a normal first day on this channel (27,778).

Rallies Fill Serbia’s Streets Ahead of Its Election

Natalija Vujisic wants a country where corruption does not shape the future. A student and supporter of Student List-Students Win, she gives a personal reason for joining the movement at the center of The New York Times' Serbia election report.

"Rallies Fill Serbia's Streets Ahead of Its Election" moves between packed opposition gatherings in Belgrade and Aleksandar Vucic's cheering supporters in Nis. The question behind those scenes is whether nearly two years of student-led protests reflect a wider appetite for political change.

The Short drew nearly 390,000 views in its first 12 hours, already far beyond the channel's usual full-day audience for this format.

The report traces the demonstrations back to the 2024 Novi Sad train station canopy collapse, then introduces the student-backed opposition running against Vucic's party. Vujisic describes her support as a commitment to the country she wants future generations to inherit.

The final stretch widens the frame beyond the streets. Footage of Vucic meeting Xi Jinping in Beijing and Vladimir Putin in Moscow introduces the foreign-policy challenges surrounding the vote, before the report returns to aerial views of Belgrade and the Church of Saint Sava.

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