The third largest Serbian city of Niš was under a student blockade yesterday, BNT reported. It came exactly four months after the fallen canopy at the Novi Sad train station claimed 15 lives.
Since the beginning of November, students in Serbia have been demanding that the country break with corruption and that those truly responsible for the November 1 tragedy bear both criminal and political responsibility.
The students announced their Student Edict, in which they say that freedom is the foundation of Serbia's democratic society and that institutions should be instruments of the people.
Having traveled the road to Niš, the third largest city in Serbia, on foot and by bicycle, the students were greeted late last night as people of the future. Like those who have to build a new Serbia, in which the law is important, not the will of the political elite of the last 20 years.
Radosh Rashko is from Tsaribrod, studying at the UNWE in Sofia. He says he is Bulgarian, but also Serbian. He set off on the road to Niš because "today everyone should be with the students who want justice".
"The same people have been ruling the country for 20 years, the same politicians. And many things are getting worse and worse. And it got to the point where 15 people died from the fall of an eaves. This is a great shame for those who allowed this to happen," said Radosh Rashko.
15 minutes before 12 – the hour when exactly 4 months ago the canopy of the Novi Sad train station fell and took 15 lives, Niš fell silent for a quarter of an hour in memory of the victims of the tragedy.
Radoš says that these 4 months have changed Serbia and it is now different.
"People woke up in these 4 months. From small protests that were on November 2, now the biggest protest in Niš in the last 30 years is happening," said Rados Rasko.
Aleksandar Dimitrov from Bosilegrad also came to the protest in Niš. He says that the students have changed Serbia, but the politicians have not yet understood this change.
"It is definitely very difficult for the politicians in Serbia right now. They simply do not believe what they are saying anymore. So all this is such thin ice right now. They say one thing today and refute it tomorrow. Many unknown days await us, but I hope that the finale will be beautiful, because there is an option for it to be ugly as well", pointed out Alexander Dimitrov.
And the people from the protest in Niš say that just as justice is stronger than injustice, the blockade is already stronger than the government.
"You have a reconstruction project, to do something new with so much money. And for this to kill 15 people and no one, simply no one is responsible, that is very sad", noted Stefan Pavić.
And the people in Niš - showed not only support, but also humanity, distributing food and water to the students. They say that in this way they show much more than support for them and give a sign to politicians that people should be important not only in words.