New student protests took place
Friday in Belgrade, with marches, gatherings, and road blockades
in various parts of the city, causing inevitable disruptions to
public transportation and inconveniences for drivers.
The slogan "Pumpaj, Pumpaj" (Pump it, Pump it) echoed
everywhere — now a staple chant of the anti-government
demonstrations in Serbia — meant to energize and motivate the
participants of the daily protests that have been ongoing for
five months across the Balkan country. On April 4, celebrated in
Serbia as "Student Day," demonstrations were also held in other
parts of the country.
Meanwhile, about 80 students who rode bicycles toward
Strasbourg entered Hungary Thursady. They plan to present their
demands to EU institutions and the Council of Europe to draw
international attention to the situation in Serbia, particularly
highlighting widespread corruption and ongoing human rights
violations. Their arrival in the French city is expected on
April 15, after a more than 1,300-kilometer journey through
Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Germany, and France.
Serbian diaspora communities in all those countries are
mobilized to provide logistical support, food, sports equipment,
and technical supplies. The group of student cyclists is also
accompanied by some professors and academic staff, along with
support vehicles carrying food, medicine, and medical personnel.
At the same time, President Aleksandar Vucic has called for a
pro-government rally on April 12 in Belgrade. The aim, he said,
is to instill confidence and a sense of security in a population
"mistreated and increasingly oppressed by the protest movement."
"A lot of money has been invested, both inside and outside the
country, to destabilize Serbia," Vucic said in a video message
on TikTok.
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