The Serbian national broadcaster, RTS, has canceled its traditional Easter religious broadcasts due to ongoing mass protests by opposition supporters, who have been blocking access to several of the network’s facilities for days.

In an official statement, RTS said it would not be able to air live coverage of the Orthodox Holy Saturday liturgy from the Church of Saint Sava, nor the Catholic Easter Mass from the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The broadcaster cited a “violent and unlawful blockade” as the reason and apologized to the faithful and Serbian citizens for the disruption.

Protesters have surrounded the RTS headquarters in central Belgrade, the Kosutnjak studios, and the facilities of Radio and Television of Vojvodina in Novi Sad. Their primary demand is the immediate renewal of the membership of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM), whose mandate expired in November 2024.

RTS staff have reportedly been unable to access their workplaces since 10:00 p.m. Monday. In the face of the blockade, the network has resorted to broadcasting mostly pre-recorded programs. Thursday's morning news and entertainment segments were not aired at all.

Demonstrators, many armed with vuvuzelas and whistles, continue to chant slogans outside the buildings. Police have so far remained neutral, though one officer was injured earlier in the week while attempting to clear a parking area near RTS.

President Aleksandar Vučić has called on authorities to lift the blockade “if possible without the use of force.” He and other officials have accused the opposition of attempting to destabilize the country, claiming the protests are being fueled by Western NGOs and media. Vučić has previously alleged foreign intelligence services are behind the unrest, aiming to incite a “Maidan” scenario in Serbia.

The protests trace back to a tragic incident on November 1, 2024, when a railway station canopy collapsed in Novi Sad, killing 16 people. Since then, a wave of student-led demonstrations has swept across the country, demanding transparency over the station's reconstruction, accountability for the tragedy, and the release of detained protesters. According to the civic organization CRTA, Serbia witnessed 1,697 protest events in March alone.

Meanwhile, newly appointed Prime Minister Djuro Macut has proposed education reforms and invited students to dialogue. However, the opposition continues to boycott government initiatives, insisting that all demands must be met.