For the second time in North Mitrovica, and the first time under student organization, a silent gathering titled „15 Minutes of Silence for 15 Victims“ will take place tomorrow in front of the Faculty of Philosophy. The event, beginning at 11:52 a.m. and lasting 15 minutes, honors the victims of the tragic collapse of the newly renovated train station canopy in Novi Sad.
The gathering is organized by students of the University of Pristina with a temporary seat in North Mitrovica. This marks the first time students from this university have taken charge of organizing such an event. According to the organizers, they wanted to avoid individual public statements but emphasized their solidarity with peers in central Serbia, who have been protesting for two months over one of the most significant tragedies in the country.
The event was officially reported to the Kosovo Police earlier today, and an invitation has been extended to citizens to join in paying tribute to the innocent victims and standing in solidarity with the students.
On Friday, a similar silent tribute for the 15 victims was held at the same location in North Mitrovica. That gathering primarily drew older attendees, with only a handful of students present.
Jovan Zafirović, a well-known Serbian aphorist and a student at the Faculty of Philosophy, attended Monday’s event. He commented that the absence of students did not reflect a lack of stance but rather fear as a possible reason for their hesitation.
Students present on Friday distanced themselves from a previous statement issued by the Student Parliament, which had called on their peers in Serbia to disassociate from Albin Kurti, whom it labeled as the „organizer“ of student protests in Serbia.
They also noted they were unaware of the parliament’s meeting and stressed that the body does not have the authority to represent the views of all students.
In December, four professors publicly expressed support for the protesting students, and seven others initiated an online petition, eventually garnering 360 signatures from professors, assistants, and students.
Monday’s event was organized by Mitrovica resident Srđan Đorđević, who has now passed the torch to students. Đorđević expressed hope that they will continue organizing similar actions in the future.
Tomorrow also coincides with the celebration of Saint Sava Day, a national holiday in Serbia dedicated to education and the legacy of the Serbian Orthodox saint. Meanwhile, in Belgrade, students have announced a 24-hour blockade of the Autokomanda intersection, set to begin at 10 a.m
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
