A gathering was held in Hamburg today to show support for students in Serbia. Around a hundred expatriates gathered to express their stance on an issue that has captured public attention for months. The attendees voiced their support for those advocating for a country free of corruption, a state governed by law, equality, and a better future for all citizens of Serbia.
The event, scheduled for 11:30 in front of City Hall, began with a speech from one of the organizers. Tamara Đurđević Jacobsen addressed the crowd with these words:
“Thank you for coming in such large numbers! We are here to support our students, but also everyone who has stood with them. We live where we live, but that does not mean we should remain silent about what is happening in our homeland, because this concerns all of us.”
“We are children, grandchildren, parents, relatives, and friends of people who still live in Serbia. Some of us were forced to seek a better and more dignified life elsewhere, far from our homes and loved ones, exiled by foolishness and injustice. It is our duty to support those who need it most right now. To let them know that even though we are far away, we are with them in thought and spirit.”
“Corruption has seeped into every part of society! Violence and vulgarity have become normalized; people live under the illusions of media propaganda controlled by one man, in darkness, on the brink of poverty and misery. The theft and incompetence of those in power have begun to literally cost lives. And yes, believe me, any one of us could have been under that collapsed structure.”
“Our brave students, the future of Serbia, have risen to demand justice and truth, so that no more such collapses ever occur. We admire their strength and determination to stand up to corrupt tyranny because it is high time for this decayed society to be changed at its roots…”
Following the speech and the reading of names of those tragically lost in Novi Sad, a fifteen-minute silence was observed starting at exactly 11:52.
The participants did not come empty-handed. In addition to wearing red gloves, they carried banners with messages such as: “Corruption Kills!”, “Hamburg Supports Students”, “Come, Let Your Mother Show You Whose Children These Are”, “No One Should Have to Leave Serbia; Tyrants Must Be Held Accountable”, and others.
At the end of the official program, Tamara shared more about her personal reasons for co-organizing the event alongside Jovana Kratić:
*”I moved to Hamburg in 2019. For too long, I struggled to stay in Serbia. I studied and even tried running a private business in a village. However, given the overall situation in our country, I decided to join my family here.
Jovana and I, watching what is happening in Serbia, felt not just anger but also a desire to be part of the changes initiated by the students. So, we decided to invite people here to send a small sign of support to all our fighters from Hamburg. To let them know they are not alone.”*
Tamara emphasized that her presence contradicts malicious comments claiming that the situation in Serbia only concerns those who still live there:
“I am a citizen of the Republic of Serbia, just like all of us here. We are not foreigners. Wherever we live in the world, we are Serbs, and this concerns all of us. What is happening now shows that the younger generations carry something worth preserving, valuing, and supporting.”
Finally, we spoke with an elderly man who wished to remain anonymous but shared that he left Ribarska Banja in 1973 to seek a better life in Hamburg:
“When I left home in 1973, there were ten of us in the household. Now there’s no one there, and here we are fourteen,” said the pensioner through tears.
“Everything I have, I invested there, and now no one lives in that house. My generation, we are scum. All we knew was to applaud, from the Marshal onward. Luckily, these young people have awakened. God bless them, and may they be healthy and safe! They might be able to change this. My time is over, but it is a disgrace for people to live like this,” he concluded.
According to the organizers, this will not be the last gathering. New events are planned, a decision that was met with approval from all attendees.
Text/Foto: Milica Andrić
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