Students from various parts of Serbia, demanding accountability for the collapse of a canopy that killed 15 people in Novi Sad, are marching toward Belgrade in a multi-day protest ahead of the gathering scheduled for March 15 under the slogan “15 for 15.” Columns of students, pupils, and professors set off this morning from Novi Sad, Subotica, and Smederevo.
More than 700 students and pupils who began their march from Niš and nearby towns and municipalities arrived in Smederevo last night.
They spent the night in a sports hall and schools before continuing their march towards Pančevo around 8 AM this morning.
Last night, they were welcomed by numerous citizens in the city square, who provided them with food, drinks, and medical assistance.
Students participating in the blockade from Novi Sad and Subotica, along with some high school students from Novi Sad, university professors, and teachers, also began their march to Belgrade this morning, where a major protest is set for March 15.
After gathering in the student town at around 8:30 AM, they formed a column led by bikers and stewards and set off toward Belgrade.
On the first day, they will walk through Petrovaradin, Sremski Karlovci, Inđija, and reach Stara Pazova, where they will spend the night. The following day, they will continue through Nova Pazova, Batajnica, and Zemun before arriving in Belgrade.
On March 11 at 9 PM, students ended a 22-hour blockade of the entrances to the Radio Television of Serbia building at Takovska 10 and Aberdareva 1, which began on March 10 at around 10:30 PM. At the same time, the building of Radio Television of Vojvodina was also blocked.
In anticipation of the March 15 gathering in Belgrade under the slogan “15 for 15,” students in the blockade have set off toward the capital from multiple locations. The march from Subotica began on March 8, from Niš on March 9, and from cities in Western Serbia on March 10.
Students continued their blockades of faculties and rectorates after the student-worker protest “Shoulder to Shoulder – Students and Workers,” which was held over the weekend. In Niš, a student protest called “The Rose of Justice” took place, while in Novi Sad, a protest was held under the name “What Women Know About Eggs.”
Previously, marking 100 days since the collapse of the canopy in Novi Sad, students staged a seven-hour blockade of the Gazela Bridge in Belgrade on February 9, once again calling on the authorities to take responsibility.
On February 1 and 2, when three months had passed since the tragedy at the Railway Station, students organized a 27-hour blockade of the Liberty Bridge in Novi Sad.
A few days earlier, for the same reason, students had staged a one-day blockade of the Autokomanda junction in Belgrade.
A new large gathering has been announced in Belgrade for March 15.
In the meantime, students, university professors in Serbia, as well as teachers from primary and secondary schools, pupils, and high school graduates across Serbian cities, continue with protests and blockades of university buildings, rectorates, primary and secondary schools, and gymnasiums.
The demands of the students in the blockade include the publication of all documents related to the reconstruction of the Railway Station, the dropping of charges against arrested and detained students, activists, and citizens from previous protests regarding the Novi Sad tragedy, the filing of criminal charges against all attackers on students, professors, and citizens, and a 20% increase in the budget for universities.
Government representatives claim that all demands have been met, while students in the blockade argue that none have been fully satisfied. The Faculty of Civil Engineering at the University of Belgrade has repeatedly published analyses of the documentation, listing missing or incomplete documents.
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One of the reasons for Prime Minister Miloš Vučević’s resignation on January 28 was the attack on students in front of the Serbian Progressive Party’s offices in Novi Sad on the night of January 27–28. The attackers used batons and fists against the students. A female student who was seriously injured in the incident underwent surgery at the Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic at the Clinical Center of Vojvodina.
At least 63 faculties from five state universities, several private universities, and multiple vocational colleges are currently under blockade.
The students’ demands have been supported through signed petitions by 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. The Serbian Bar Association also supported the movement, engaging in a three-day strike followed by a month-long work stoppage. Farmers, doctors, actors, theaters, and other cultural institutions and individuals have also joined the protests through various actions and work stoppages.
High school graduates from many gymnasiums and vocational schools have joined the blockades and boycotts of classes. Some secondary schools and gymnasiums held public lectures during the winter break to honor the victims of the Railway Station tragedy in Novi Sad.
Protests and work stoppages have also spread to primary schools across Serbia, with teachers expressing dissatisfaction with the agreement reached between representative unions and the Serbian government.
There are conflicting reports regarding the number of primary and secondary schools participating in the strike, with discrepancies between data published by the Ministry of Education and reports from non-representative unions and civil society organizations. In the meantime, teachers and professors on strike have added student demands to their own list of grievances.
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Source: RTS, Foto: Beta / Milan Obradović