<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/30/we-are-done-with-corruption-how-the-students-of-serbia-rose-up-against-the-system>
"Sitting on the balustrade of a viaduct in Belgrade, Uroš Pantović wasn’t in
the mood to mince his words. The 22-year-old had joined tens of thousands of
others protesters on Monday to block one of the Serbian capital’s main
intersections, turning the junction into a sea of mostly good-humoured but
nonetheless determined dissent.
“We’re here to tell our government that it’s accountable to us,” said Pantović,
a student at the law faculty of the University of Belgrade, who had come with
three friends from his home town, Kosjerić. “I came here to help people because
the government tries to screw us over in many ways.”
The atmosphere was peaceful: alongside those waving banners with anti-regime
slogans and blowing whistles, young people played card games, basketball and
chess. Free coffee was handed out. Tents had been pitched, so students could
protest overnight. Cars on the highway below the viaduct honked in support of
the students.
This was just the latest in a wave of student-led anti-government protests in
Serbia that have taken place since November. Students have squatted in
university buildings and organised road blockades, protests and peaceful
guerrilla actions. The student movement runs on food donations and operates
independently from their university management and opposition parties.
According to some, it is the biggest student-led movement in Europe since 1968;
certainly, it is the among the biggest waves of dissent in Belgrade since the
protests that led to the fall of the Serbian president Slobodan Milošević in
2000."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
