Tens of thousands of students and citizens from all over Serbia gathered today in Niš for a large protest called “Student Edict.” The event was organized to mark four months since the collapse of the canopy at the Railway Station in Novi Sad, where 15 people died, and two were seriously injured.
Students and citizens gathered in King Milan Square and the surrounding streets, holding flags of Serbia and banners.
The “main event” of the protest, titled “Pump the Dot Software,” began at 5:52 p.m. and will last until 8 p.m.
As part of the event, a Children’s Choir performed, and the gathered citizens heard from student Natalija Dimitrijević from Niš, who stated that the fight for the functioning of institutions in Serbia has been ongoing for over 100 days.
The “Student Edict,” a document of a specific nature created by students from the University of Niš, was then read aloud.
Here are the provisions of this document.
“Adopted in Niš, March 1, 2025. We, students and free citizens of Serbia, gathered in the city of Niš, a city that witnesses new ideas and changes, a city that has been a crossroads of history through the centuries, and where freedom has always found its way, hereby issue this edict proclaiming the values for which we fight, as an oath for the future and the country in which we want to live:
FIND OUT MORE IN ENGLISH:
I. ABOUT FREEDOM
Serbia is a country of free people. Freedom is not a mercy, but a fundamental right inseparable from the dignity of every citizen. Freedom is the foundation of our democratic society, our laws, our words, and our thoughts.
II. ABOUT THE STATE
The state is the common good of all its citizens. The institutions of Serbia must serve the people and be the foundation of trust, not an instrument of individual power. We advocate for a state where the law represents the highest authority, and where political office means service to the citizens, not a privilege.
III. ABOUT JUSTICE
Justice is the foundation of a stable society. An independent judiciary, free media, and institutions must act according to the law, not under political pressure. Equality before the law must be a reality for every citizen of Serbia.
IV. ABOUT YOUTH
Young people have shown that they are not only the heirs of Serbia but also its constitutional defenders. Students, as the bearers of this struggle, preserve the values upon which our society should rest. The youth of Serbia demands a system based on effort and knowledge.
V. ABOUT DIGNITY
We advocate for a society in which the dignity of every individual is respected. Dignity means that no person is brought to the position of humiliation because of their views and opinions. A Serbia where experts are not underestimated and where knowledge is valued more than obedience, where the youth see hope in their own country.
VI. ABOUT KNOWLEDGE
Knowledge is the foundation of the progress of any society. We seek a Serbia that invests in science, research, education, and culture as the priorities of its development. Universities must be independent centers of excellence, not arenas for buying diplomas and political influence.
VII. ABOUT SOLIDARITY
The roads of our cities, from Niš to Novi Sad, from Belgrade to Kragujevac, testify to the strength of national unity. This solidarity, previously unknown in systems based on division, becomes our vow and our strength, which we will defend and nurture. By turning individual voices into the force of change, we have proven that Serbia is not a collection of divided interests, but a community of citizens who share a vision for the future.
VIII. ABOUT THE FUTURE
Let this edict be our duty, our promise to each other – that we will build a country that will belong to all, where every child will be able to dream big dreams. A country where justice and freedom will be stronger than any individual, where power will not serve itself, but serve the people.”
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Source: Nova.rs, Foto: N1