Student unrest in Serbia against the President

[Serbia is currently experiencing a massive student struggle. In particular, against the privatisation of pharmacies, against which the student movement is defending an alternative plan for a system of public pharmacies. The level of self-organisation of this movement has attracted the attention of Priama Diia, which points out in this statement that "in the space of three weeks, almost all university buildings in Serbia have become centres of political self-organisation operating 24 hours a day".]

The current student protests in Serbia, which can be considered one of the largest in the country in recent decades, began with the blockade of a single faculty in Belgrade and gradually spread to most institutions throughout Serbia. The protests were led by self-organised students and supported by students, teachers, education unions, the media and vulnerable groups.

The protests were triggered by a tragedy at Novi Sad railway station on 1 November, when part of a concrete shed collapsed, killing 15 people. President Aleksandar Vucic has called for "severe punishment" for those responsible for the tragedy, but nothing has been done. The students accuse the corrupt leaders, through whom relatives of civil servants placed construction orders. They also demand that Vucic himself be held responsible.

Serbian students have become the main voice of protest, as they have been able to organise demonstrations on their own with the support of students, teachers, education unions and media associations. The Serbian government decided to end the semester earlier than planned in all primary and secondary schools due to "circumstances that affect the quality and safety of the educational process, as well as the interest and right of students to education". The President himself stated that he was not concerned by the demonstrations and accused the students of demonstrating for money.

Although the Serbian authorities have given assurances that all the demands have been met, and have repeatedly tried to prove this by publishing documents on the repairs carried out and announcing government subsidies to help young people buy accommodation, the students refuse to return to a previous student life. One of their demands is a full investigation into who was responsible for the collapse of the shed at Novi Sad station on 1 November, which cost so many lives.

In their letter (https://priama-diia-742d5ddc1d1a.herokuapp.com/publications/lyst-do-studentiv-zi-vsiogo-svitu) to international students, which we invite you to read, the Serbian students point out that the opposition has now demonstrated its powerlessness with its approaches, which has forced them to take matters into their own hands. They have suspended their studies, dissolved all the student representative bodies, organised plenums, presented and approved demands, set up working groups and started to exert pressure. They succeeded in occupying faculty premises and transforming them into places for everyday life. Students were able to set up kitchens, dormitories, pharmacies, workshops, cinemas and classrooms for self-study. In the space of three weeks, almost all the university buildings in Serbia became centres of political self-organisation, operating 24 hours a day. Every day, other vulnerable social groups join the students' struggle.

This active self-organisation shows the determination and perseverance of Serbian students and other segments of society in the fight against the corrupt elite that caused the recent terrible tragedy. We should take inspiration from the example of our Serbian comrades and start fighting for direct democracy, justice and better learning conditions, because we, the students, are the future of the world.

We invite you to show solidarity and share this post and the letter (https://priama-diia-742d5ddc1d1a.herokuapp.com/publications/lyst-do-studentiv-zi-vsiogo-svitu) from the Serbian students so that more students are aware of the problems that exist in the world and the people who are trying to solve them through direct action and solidarity.

Priama Diia