by Katarina Damčević
The protests in Serbia are not only political demonstrations; they are also fueling a ‘cultural explosion’. Symbols of protest, such as ‘Pumpaj!’ and ‘Ćaci’, have evolved from being peripheral phenomena to becoming central political symbols that challenge state narratives. These creative forms of resistance shape the collective memory and, consequently, the political landscape.
For months, Serbia has been experiencing an eruption of protests, fueled by public outrage over state corruption, media control, and the erosion of legal institutions and judicial transparency. The immediate trigger was the collapse of the Novi Sad railway station canopy in November 2024, which killed 15 people. What began as student-led demands for accountability quickly transformed into the largest wave of protests in Serbia’s recent history. Alongside political demands, the protests have become a fertile ground for the emergence of symbols—ranging from the humorous to the confrontational—that may shape Serbia’s collective memory in years to come. These symbols encapsulate political struggles and serve as rallying points in contentious politics. To better understand their significance, we can turn to Juri Lotman’s concept of cultural explosion.
Cultural Explosion as Transformation
Juri Lotman, the famous semiotician and literary scholar, viewed cultural explosion as a sudden and unpredictable shift that compels a system—whether a political order, a social structure, or community—to reorganize itself.1 Events such as revolutions, wars, or pandemics are examples of such transformations, leading to the creation or revision of customs, myths, symbols, and laws. These elements form the foundation of a society’s identity and shape its ideal self-perception, reflected in official declarations, manifestos, constitutions, and educational curricula. While cultural explosions may seem sudden, they unfold alongside gradual, step-by-step transformations, impacting different layers of society at different speeds. Their impact often lingers long after the initial rupture, shaping narratives and identities over time. Examples of this are the ways victory and victimhood narratives are constructed and maintained after large-scale conflicts, or the long-term effects of migration through the reshaping of national narratives, labor markets, urban development, and political landscapes over time.
Explosions usually originate from the periphery, where marginalized voices and suppressed ideas begin to challenge the hegemonic discourse. Serbia’s protests exemplify this process: what began as a reaction to a tragic event in Novi Sad quickly escalated into a far-reaching social and political reckoning. Cultural explosions not only destabilize existing structures but also introduce unpredictability: such moments open a space where multiple futures exist simultaneously.2 Serbia’s protests are precisely at this juncture. The emergence of viral phrases like Pumpaj! (Pump it up!) and the satirical appropriation of Ćaci reflect the real-time transformation of meaning, as symbols previously insignificant or peripheral suddenly gain social and political weight. This unpredictability does not stem from chaos alone; it signifies a moment of contested meaning-making, where multiple narratives compete for dominance. The protest movement itself is shaped by these tensions, oscillating between creative defiance and the repressive strategies of the state. What emerges from this process, whether in the form of enduring slogans, political shifts, or new forms of collective action—remains uncertain.
From the Margins to the Center: The Rise of Protest Symbols
Ćaci and Ćacilend
The Ćaci phenomenon began as an accidental misspelling of đaci (pupils) in graffiti that read Ćaci u školu (Ćaci to school).3 Initially mocked as an example of poor Cyrillic literacy (the correct Đ, Ђ, was mixed up in a graffiti with Ć, Ћ), it soon evolved into a meme and later into a satirical critique of pro-government “students” who were suspected of being paid to stage counter-protests in Belgrade’s Pionirski Park. The so-called students quickly found their way onto Google Maps, where searches for “Ćaci” generated results like “Ćaci plaćenici” (Ćaci mercenaries) and “Ćaci – plaćenički studentski kamp” (Ćaci – mercenary student camp). In a clever reversal, genuine student protesters reclaimed the term, turning it into a tool of ridicule against fabricated state narratives and those participating in state-orchestrated pro-government rallies.4
Ćacilend further emerges as a fictional metaphor for Serbia under President Aleksandar Vučić—an absurd and repressive political landscape. The term further critiques the government’s attempts to present an illusion of stability and prosperity while suppressing dissent. It captures the surreal gap between official discourse and lived reality, making it one of the most potent symbols of the movement.

Pumpaj!
A slang term meaning “Pump it up!” or “Keep going!”, Pumpaj! has transformed into a powerful protest slogan.5 Originally circulating on Reddit posts associated with the protests, it became viral and gained traction as a playful but defiant chant at demonstrations. The term’s spontaneity and adaptability make it emblematic of how cultural explosions work: peripheral elements, often trivial in origin, suddenly become central, infused with new political meaning. The phrase’s ironic energy is key to its effectiveness, it ridicules state narratives while strengthening group solidarity.
Reviving Cultural Memory: When the Past Speaks to the Present
The creative power of cultural explosions lies in their ability to bring fragments of cultural memory to the surface, repurposing them in new socio-political contexts. This process is evident in the protests, where students have drawn on past cultural texts to amplify their message. A memorable example is their video Ko to tamo blokira? (Who’s Blocking There?), a reimagining of a famous scene from what many consider the best Yugoslav film, Ko to tamo peva (Who’s Singing Over There?), directed by Slobodan Šijan.6 By referencing this iconic film, the students connected their struggle to a broader cultural legacy, using humor and irony to engage a wider audience and mobilize support for the March 15th demonstration. This act of reactivation demonstrates how cultural texts—images, films, slogans, or narratives—function as reservoirs of meaning that can be adapted to new circumstances. In moments of upheaval, past meanings are renegotiated to fit present needs, while historical narratives and symbols are reinterpreted to resonate with contemporary grievances. In Serbia’s protests, this interplay between memory and innovation has fueled a dynamic and ever-evolving language of dissent.
Repression vs. Creativity
One of the defining features of cultural explosions is that their trajectories remain unclear. In moments of upheaval, multiple futures exist simultaneously. Will Pumpaj! and Ćaci
become enduring symbols of resistance, or will they fade into oblivion? This uncertainty mirrors Serbia’s political reality, where citizens stand at a crossroads, challenging an entrenched system but facing an unpredictable path forward.
Regardless of their creative potential, cultural explosions do not necessarily lead to progress. While they often generate new meanings and creative energy, they can also be met with reactionary forces seeking to reassert control, subsequently resulting in stagnation or worsening. In Serbia, the government’s response has been one of suppression rather than adaptation. Instead of engaging with the protesters’ demands, Vučić has doubled down on the regime’s isolation and engaged in gaslighting tactics to discredit their grievances. The peak of the protest took place on March 15th, 2025, marking the largest gathering in the history of Belgrade to date. As protesters peacefully observed a 15-minute silence in memory of the fifteen Novi Sad victims, authorities used an LRAD (long-range acoustic device) sonic cannon against them, triggering panic and dispersing the crowd. Dozens of citizens sought medical attention in the emergency room following the incident, reporting severe headaches, nausea, and dizziness. Meanwhile, discussions and debates about the nature of the device persist. The government, along with President Vučić, continues to deny its use. However, some military analysts have confirmed that an LRAD was deployed during the protest.7
Cultural explosion is a valuable analytical tool for understanding the unfolding protests in Serbia. It allows us to map how meanings shift, how resistance takes shape through symbols, and how the struggle over narratives plays out in real-time. The students’ use of satire, memes, and cultural references demonstrates that resistance is not just about confronting power but also about reimagining reality. The contrast is stark: on one side, an explosion of creativity and meaning-generation fueled by the protesters; on the other, state machinery desperate to silence it.
The stakes are high. This moment of unpredictability means that everything—both repression and transformation—is possible. To the students holding their ground, refusing to be silenced, and believing in a better future: you are an inspiration. Keep going. Pumpaj!
About the author:
Katarina Damčević’s research centers on hate speech and contested symbols in (post)conflict settings and times of social crisis. She earned her PhD from the University of Tartu, where she studied memory politics and the controversies surrounding the World War II Ustaša salute in contemporary Croatia. Her interests include the evolution and dynamics of contested symbols, their (re)appropriation by various social and political actors, and their role in shaping identity. She also examines how different forms of speech contribute to polarization, the spread of extremist narratives, and the incitement of violence.
- Lotman, M. Juri 2009[1992]. Culture and Explosion. Edited by Marina Grishakova. De Gruyter Mouton. [↩]
- Lotman, M. Juri 2013. The Unpredictable Workings of Culture. Edited by Silvi Salupere and I. A. Pilshchikov. TLU Press. [↩]
- https://www.danas.rs/bbc-news-serbian/ko-je-caci-i-kakve-veze-ima-sa-studentskim-protestima/ [↩]
- https://autonomija.info/caciji-osvanuli-na-gugl-mapama/ [↩]
- https://www.nedeljnik.rs/zasto-studenti-pumpaju-na-blokadama-i-kako-je-ova-fraza-postala-lajtmotiv-studentskih-protesta-u-srbiji/ [↩]
- https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHEo6ogA2D_/?utm_source=ig_embed [↩]
- See, for instance, https://n1info.rs/vesti/video-trenutak-incidenta-upotrebljen-zvucni-top-oruzje-koje-poseduje-bezbednosni-sistem-srbije/ and https://www.dw.com/hr/sve-vi%C5%A1e-indicija-da-je-u-beogradu-kori%C5%A1ten-zvu%C4%8Dni-top/a-71962673. [↩]
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Redaktion ostBLOG (21. März 2025). Serbia’s Protests as a Cultural Explosion: Symbols, Memory, and the Struggle for Meaning. ostBLOG. Abgerufen am 29. April 2025 von https://doi.org/10.58079/13jgu
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[…] “The protests in Serbia are not only political demonstrations; they are also fueling a ‘cultural explosion’”, writes Katarina Damčević in a recent article on the symbols of protest in Serbia. Read about how symbols like ‘Pumpaj!’ and ‘Ćaci’ have evolved from being peripheral phenomena to becoming central political symbols that challenge state narratives. You can read the article by clicking on this link. […]