Immediately following the catastrophe, 20,000 citizens marched in Novi Sad demanding answers and accountability, only to be met by silence from both the local and state governments. The day after, a day of mourning was instituted, promises were made, Serbia’s neighbors outpoured their sympathies, and resignations started to come in; however, the state government left Serbia’s masses out to dry. As the rage of the working people in Novi Sad spread to Belgrade and beyond, the demands of the student body, the core of the protest movement, were either rejected or betrayed. In response, the people’s ire continued to grow from one city to the next, from one country to another, joining not only students in their shared struggle for justice but also workers in their common struggle against state exploitation.
The Demands
The demands of the students are simple:
1. The publication of all pertinent documentation regarding the reconstruction of the Novi Sad railroad station
2. The total dismissal of all charges made against arrested/detained students and protestors following the fall of the overhead in the Novi Sad railroad station
3. An extensive and thorough legal prosecution of all thugs and assailants who committed violence against the student body and their supporters during the protests
4. A general increase of Serbia’s allotted share of the budget going to the material costs of state-owned higher-education institutions (at least 20%)
Thus far, President Aleksandar Vučić and his government have demeaned or declined these demands. The government allegedly released over 800 documents concerning the reconstruction of the railroad station; however, the student body discovered a number just shy of 200 which were completely unrelated to the demands as they did not show the financial stream of the investments. At this point, dozens have been arrested by the state, often detained for 30 days at a time. The state has sponsored thugs to intimidate the students and organize counter-protests in a move to break the momentum of the movement. In addition to this, Vučić has publically claimed that these protests are merely an elaborate political ploy by the opposition to remove him from power.
The Developments
These failed attempts to resolve the students’ demands or push them out by force have had a counter-effect. Student solidarity movements have sprung up across almost all of the former Yugoslav republics, showing their support for their righteous struggle against governmental corruption. This movement has splintered and grown into a complex network of student bodies, joined in their demands and suffering. Government buildings have been besieged, roads have been blocked, and voices have been raised in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Kragujevac, Niš, Valjevo, etc.
The biggest single protest thus far was organized on December 22 in Slavija Square in Belgrade, seeing a total of 100,000 protestors. Aleksandar Gubaš, director of the Archive of Public Assemblies, has gone on to remark that this rivals and in some ways exceeds the turnout of the October 2000 protests that uprooted the fascist government of Slobodan Milošević. They have also far outnumbered the recent Rio Tinto environmental protests in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, showing plainly to the world that the students and workers of Serbia are nearing their breaking point. In times of extreme crisis, the contradictions of reactionary societies become too apparent to be ignored and the momentum of civil strife becomes so powerful that it cannot be stopped by decorous means. This has manifested in practical class solidarity shown by the workers in Belgrade who joined the students in their protest against the government under the slogan “General Strike — Students and Workers United!” Among others, the student banners flew slogans like “The State is the Property of the Youth” — in direct response to Vladimir Đukanović’s statement that “the youth is the property of the state of Serbia,” “Corruption Kills,” “Who If Not Us?”, “Let the Struggle go on,” etc.
However, no slogan or banner compares to the symbol of the protests — a bloody handprint with the inscription “You Have Blood on Your Hands.” After the protests, which were marked by a huge turnout and an inspiring 15 minutes of silence commemorating the 15 innocent lives lost, the student-led X account, @studentblokade, posted:
“We would like to thank everyone who joined and supported us today from the bottom of our hearts. Thank you for reaching out to us to share important information and for avoiding direct confrontation during the protest. Thank you for watching our backs, we’ve got yours too! Together, we have shown our courage, civility, and solidarity. Stay with us - we have just begun!"
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