Today, in front of the Consulate of the Republic of Serbia in Chicago, the fourth rally in support of student protests in Serbia was held.
Despite the very low temperatures, Serbs living in the “Windy City” and its surrounding areas gathered—albeit in a slightly smaller number than the previous weekend—to pay tribute to the victims of the tragedy at the Novi Sad Railway Station with a now-traditional 15 minutes of silence.
They held signs that read: “Support the students so that someone will hold a candle for you,” “Your hands are bloody,” and others.
Among the demonstrators was Mrs. Zdravka Schler Brašovan, who was one of the students protesting in Belgrade back in 1968.
“I was there when Tito sent tanks to the Student City, and here I am again today. Unfortunately, the reasons we once protested and the reasons why students protest today remain the same. That’s why I say to these young people: ‘Finish what we started long ago!’” said Zdravka Schler Brašovan.
One of the informal organizers of the gathering, Nenad Bumbić, urged attendees not to lower themselves to the level of those who resort to insults in social media discussions and asked that offensive signs not be brought to future protests:
“We are gathering here to protest against violence, to promote peace and dialogue. Let’s not stray from what we stand for—let’s remain civil and show our support for the students in Serbia in the right way.”
He announced that the next rally would be held on Saturday, on the Serbian national holiday of Sretenje, at 11:30 AM, at the same location in front of the consulate.
Text/Foto/Video: Antonije Kovačević
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