FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Thousands of people took to the streets of Belgrade on Tuesday night in a protest against corruption and government actions, which are accused of targeting universities, where popular revolts against President Aleksandar Vučić have begun.
On National Education Day, protesters gathered in front of the University of Belgrade headquarters and peacefully protested under the slogan "Knowledge is power."
They came out in support of dozens of professors and teachers who have lost their jobs after participating in anti-government demonstrations.
“No government in our history has treated the academic community with such arrogance, vindictiveness and malice, just because it refused to remain silent,” Vladan Djokic, the rector of the University of Belgrade, told the crowd.
The protests are led mainly by students and have transformed into the largest and most sustained anti-regime movement in Serbia in years, putting pressure on the power of President Aleksandar Vučić.
The rally in Belgrade was held a few days after the one in Novi Sad where special police forcibly removed protesting students from the faculty building.
Djokic also spoke about financial and legal pressure on universities, as well as frequent verbal attacks on professors and protesting students, who have been called "terrorists" by government officials and media.
He called on his colleagues to "resist pressure and maintain the dignity of the profession by personal example."
Earlier in the day, several faculties in Belgrade suspended classes in protest.
The protests began after a concrete shelter collapsed at the Novi Sad railway station in November 2024, killing 16 people. Many citizens blamed corruption and disregard for safety regulations during the reconstruction of the building. Students instigated the protests, accusing Vučić's government of negligence and corruption. The government responded to the university blockade, roadblocks, and mass demonstrations by using violence, carrying out arbitrary arrests, and dismissing professors who sympathized with the protesters.
Serbia has faced international criticism for excessive use of force and arbitrary detentions of protesters. While Vucic is formally seeking membership in the European Union, he is also strengthening ties with Russia and China.
Lini një Përgjigje