Students on strike, along with citizens, held a “15 minutes of silence” action today at multiple locations across Serbia to commemorate the 15 people who died in the collapse of the Novi Sad railway station canopy on November 1st of last year.
In addition to this traditional action, students gathered in front of the Serbian Chamber of Engineers (IKE) on Wednesday to express their support for experts and called for a voluntary blood donation. Earlier, they announced new actions in the coming days – a march from Belgrade to Novi Sad, where on February 1st, the city’s anniversary and exactly three months after the canopy collapse, three bridges will be blocked.
As the students stated on their Instagram profile, they called for a protest in front of the Serbian Chamber of Engineers to jointly submit demands with the engineers, signed petitions demanding the “depoliticization and independence of the IKE from the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure,” calling the institution a “place of key importance” for the current situation and demands.
“Three months have passed since the tragedy in Novi Sad, and the IKE has remained silent. It’s absent. In this form, the IKE should not exist; it needs to change its form. We didn’t just decide to come here; we were forced to because our umbrella organization is silent,” said one of the engineers addressing the students. He added that the demands were signed by engineers from all over Serbia.
“We are trying to convey the voice of Serbia’s engineers because there is no one else to. There is no stopping because irresponsibility in the profession leads to loss of life. We have several thousand signatures,” he stated.
A protest was also organized in Novi Sad on Wednesday in front of the premises of the Provincial Ombudsman, organized by the informal academic network “Free University,” reported Radio Television of Serbia (RTS).
The organizers stated that the Ombudsman did not respond adequately to key events in Novi Sad, including the deaths of 15 people and numerous protests, and that in its latest statement, the institution appealed for the calming of tensions and finding a peaceful solution, citing the “endangerment of children’s right to education and the duties and responsibilities of employees in the education system.”
They also believe that the Ombudsman should have reacted and condemned the targeting, media persecution of female students, male students, and teachers of the University of Novi Sad, expressed concern for the safety of students during peaceful gatherings at the University and during protest marches.
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Protest march from Belgrade to Novi Sad
Students blockading the faculties of the University of Belgrade announced on Tuesday a plan for a protest march called “One Step Closer to Justice,” during which they will walk from Belgrade to Novi Sad to join their Novi Sad colleagues on Saturday in blocking all bridges over the Danube in that city.
Belgrade students will set off for Novi Sad on Thursday, January 30th, and a gathering is planned for 8:30 AM in front of the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, they announced on Instagram.
Departure for Novi Sad is planned for 8:30 AM, and breaks are announced at the Criminal Police University, in Batajnica, Nova Pazova, and Stara Pazova, while arrival in Indjija, where they will spend the night, is expected around 9:30 PM.
On Friday, January 31st, students will leave Indjija at 8 AM, and breaks are planned at the turnoff for Maradik, at the Temple of Blessed Mary on Čortanovački put, in Sremski Karlovci, and at the Varadin Bridge.
Arrival in Novi Sad, in front of the Railway Station where 15 people died on November 1, 2024, is expected around 7:10 PM.
Students stated that the schedule is subject to change and invited citizens to visit the blockadedonation.rs website where they can find information about necessary donations for students.
“We invite all interested citizens to join us with their own organization of necessary resources. See you,” the Instagram post adds.
The protest “1.2. on three bridges” has been announced for Saturday in Novi Sad, on the occasion of the three-month anniversary of the death of 15 people in the collapse of the reconstructed railway station canopy in Novi Sad on November 1, 2024.
Students at the University of Novi Sad announced that on that day, which also marks the City Day of Novi Sad, they will block all three bridges over the Danube in the city at 3 PM.
The demands of the blockading students include the publication of all documentation on the reconstruction of the railway station, the dismissal of charges against arrested and detained students, activists, and citizens at previous protests related to the tragedy in Novi Sad, the filing of criminal charges against all attackers on students, professors, and citizens, and a 20% increase in the budget for faculties.
Government representatives believe that all demands have been met, while students on strike claim that none of the demands have been fully met. The Faculty of Civil Engineering at the University of Belgrade has repeatedly published analyses of the documentation in which it was specifically stated which documents are missing or incomplete.
One of the reasons for yesterday’s resignation of Prime Minister Miloš Vučević was the latest attack on students in front of the party premises of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in Novi Sad, on the night between January 27th and 28th, when the attackers beat students with sticks and fists.
A female student who was seriously injured was lying in the Clinic for Maxillofacial Surgery at the University Clinical Center of Vojvodina (UKCV), and in the meantime has been released for home treatment.
“Student A. V. (23) who suffered severe injuries during an attack in Novi Sad, is in good general condition after a follow-up diagnosis and has been released for further home recovery. Yesterday afternoon, the patient underwent intermaxillary fixation at the Clinic for Maxillofacial Surgery and the intervention was completed without complications,” stated the UKCV.
At least 63 faculties of five state universities, two private faculties, and four higher vocational schools are participating in the blockades, reported RTS.
A number of judges from the Belgrade Court of Appeals, the Commercial Court of Appeals, the First Basic Court in Belgrade, the Higher Court in Belgrade, and the Basic Court in Obrenovac, as well as the Serbian Bar Association, which was on a three-day strike, have supported the students’ demands with their signatures. Farmers, theaters, and other cultural institutions and individuals are also providing support through actions, protests, and work stoppages.
High school graduates from a large number of grammar schools and secondary vocational schools have joined the blockades and the suspension of classes. Some secondary schools and grammar schools held public classes during the holidays to pay tribute to those who died at the Novi Sad Railway Station.
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Source: Glas Amerike, Photo: AFP