Serbian Portal 4zida to Join Strike Actions Against National Government

The boss of the Serbian market-leading portal 4zida has taken to Linkedin to announce a strike by the company in opposition to the Serbian government.

Serbia has been embroiled in a high volume of near daily student-led protests against the government since November 2024 after a concrete canopy fell and killed 15 people in November—which protestors blame on the government for shoddy renovations.

Branislava Gajić Stanojević, CEO at 4zida, said:

"Politics bothers me... On Friday, the company will go on strike. The company will not work and will give employees a day off to use as they wish.

"Our website will be shut down for 15 minutes and we will let users know why. These are some of the things we do because we believe that everyone should be able to politely express their opinion about the work of the state, both positively and negatively, without being labeled or politically appropriated.

"I think we need a long-term change, but we need to start somewhere. I think the point is: this and every future government in Serbia should know that, despite the good things it does, there are red lines that must not be crossed. The rule of law, the work of institutions. You can't force people to think differently! And this will be known when we persist in the message that this is so. And not only that – but when we behave in the same way. When we operate responsibly. When we are looking for a good principals, not a politically appointed one." [translated from Croatian]

Protestors are also pointing the finger at the national broadcaster which is accused of engaging in pro-government biases. Several thousand protesters have demanded Prime Minister Milos Vucevic and his government to step down and that those responsible for the collapse be arrested for negligence.

Protests including classroom shutdowns in schools have already taken place, and rumours of a nationwide general strike have been reported.