My documentary photography project emerged by chance, yet it became an important testimony of a historic moment. On March 15, 2025, I traveled to Belgrade without knowing I would witness the largest protests in the country. It all started with a tragedy in Novi Sad, where the canopy of a newly renovated train station collapsed. People immediately linked the catastrophe to corruption: despite costly renovation, the structure failed, and innocent lives were lost. The first protests broke out among students in Novi Sad, soon joined by workers, farmers, and ordinary citizens. The movement quickly spread nationwide, culminating in Belgrade on March 15. Columns of tractors, buses, and cars arrived in the capital, bringing people from small towns and villages who marched alongside residents of larger cities.

Before this, a tradition of “home protests” had developed: at 7 p.m., people went to their windows and banged pots and pans, creating a collective noise. On the streets, this sound transformed into whistles—almost every participant carried one. They became the people’s collective voice. I was struck by the range of the protesters: students stood next to the elderly, the wealthy next to the poor, some appearing polished while others looked weary from daily struggles. All were equal in their protest.

Photographing faces felt inappropriate, so I chose another approach—I photographed people below the chin. The frames captured clothing, hands, and whistles, revealing social and cultural diversity through details. This is how the project was formed. It portrays protest not through faces but through objects and symbols. Each whistle reflects individuality, and every person becomes part of the collective movement. The project captures the moment when the country came together and attempted to change its destiny.

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