7 hours ago“Bike to Strasbourg” Serbian protesters' students aim to draw EU attention
Periskopi(a year ago)
(a year ago)With cheers and tears dozens of students from Novi Sad have launched a two-week bicycle trip to Strasburg, where they want to draw EU attention to their fight against corruption in Serbia, writes DW, broadcast Periscope Serbia for weeks has been involved by a wave of protests across the country against corruption at high levels [...]
Serbia has been involved for weeks by a wave of protests across the country against corruption at the high levels of institutions. The protest wave was triggered by the collapse of the concrete roof at the train station in Novi Sad last November (2024), which resulted in 16 people dead.
Public ignorance of the tragedy in Novi Sad has to do with the responsibility for this disaster that falls on management figures, which do not take enough against corruption and have not taken care of proper supervision of construction projects.
Students are massively committed to protests, constantly finding peaceful but intensive forms of protest to perceive problems. Bicycle tour towards Strasburg aims at EU sensationalisation for Serbia's problems.
Students: EU must engage with many
With helmets on the head and flune jackets, as well as wrapped in Serbia's flag, about 80 students started pedaling from the Novi Sad University Corps to the 1,800km destination west. During the trip students will pass through several EU metropolises, Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, Munich, where they, along with Europe, want to stabilise the Serb diaspora in these countries. Of the Novi Sad residents, students received cheers with the wordsmpaj,mpaj, one of the protest slogans (pumpoje).
Serbia is a candidate country to join the European Union, and Brussels has urged it to take steps to promote media freedom, fight corruption and reform the electoral system. But part of the protesters think, that Europe does not take a proper stand and is very soft towards the government in Belgrade.
Protest tournaments within Serbia
Students and citizens of protesters have even walked within the country for days in mid-March, heading towards Serbia's capital. Tens of protests and incidents have occurred only during the week. President Aleksandar Vuciq and his power so far do not give up easily. He says, that the protests are over, while students say they decide that and not the president.
The protests led to the resignation of Prime Minister Milos Vukchev. Students say the protests will not stop and that their end will not come when the president says it, but when they say they have met the conditions.
