Mitrovica students and citizens, joined this time by colleagues from Novi Pazar, gathered once again in the city center today to observe 15 minutes of silence in memory of the victims of last year’s tragedy in Novi Sad.
The gathering, the tenth of its kind, was organized by a group of students from the University of Pristina, which operates temporarily in North Mitrovica.
At exactly 11:52 AM, the moment when the railway station canopy in Novi Sad collapsed on November 1 last year, killing 15 people and seriously injuring two others, around 50 people assembled at Knez Lazar Square.
A banner dedicated to the March Pogrom in Kosovo, whose 21st anniversary was marked this week, was also visible at the gathering.
„Pogrom—A Rewarded Crime, We Remember, We Await Justice!“
Several professors from the University of Pristina were present at the event.
Novi Pazar Students Show Solidarity
This time, students from Novi Pazar also stood in solidarity with their Mitrovica peers. Holding a large banner reading “NOVI PAZAR,” several students from the State University of Novi Pazar participated in the silent demonstration.
Apart from local citizens, four students from the University of Novi Pazar, which is currently under blockade, traveled to join the demonstration.
One of them, Erten Dražen, explained that they had come at the invitation of their fellow citizens from Novi Pazar who study at the University of Pristina in North Mitrovica.
“We wanted to respond as delegates of the State University of Novi Pazar, to come and support the students of the University of Pristina with its seat in North Mitrovica in their 15-minute silence,” Dražen stated.
Regarding the limited number of students from North Mitrovica currently joining the protests, he remarked: “It was the same in other cities at the beginning. People will slowly start joining.”
As for the ongoing student blockades in Novi Pazar, he described the situation as difficult but unyielding.
“We have problems and difficulties, but we will not give up. We see ourselves as fighters and soon-to-be absolute winners. The blockades are running exceptionally well, we are united, and we have no intention of surrendering until our demands are met.”
Dražen emphasized the strong cooperation between students from Novi Pazar and those from other parts of Serbia.
“Even though our university is small, and most people didn’t even know we existed, after our walking expedition to Kragujevac, everyone saw how much enthusiasm, strength, will, and desire we have to stand together with everyone else,” he said.
He also recalled welcoming students from central Serbia last month, expressing pride in the experience:
“I was proud that we hosted our colleagues and that they all left amazed, still talking about the event. Everyone is looking forward to visiting us again.”
Drama student: We Proved We Weren’t Afraid
„Everyone who came to North Mitrovica today and had classes also attended the gathering. Although our faculty and student parliament do not support us, the drama department stands with us,“ said Ana Todorović from the Faculty of Arts after the gathering.
She and six of her third-year drama classmates walked from Valjevo to Belgrade last week to:
„Prove that we are not afraid. I hope we have encouraged many other students and citizens to join us.“
She shared her experience of the 100-kilometer walk:
„It is very difficult to give and sacrifice your body. We suffered, we have terrible injuries, and it is not easy. But the strength came from the people who welcomed us, not only in Belgrade but at every stop, in front of every gate. Thank you to all the mothers and grandmothers who fed us along the way.“
She did not specify how many of her colleagues and professors attended the gathering but stated:
„Whoever came here today, if they had classes, they also attended this action.“
A Veteran’s Message: Victory is Ours, but It Will Be Difficult
A special message of support for students across Serbia came from Dobrivoje Milojević, a member of the Association of Disabled Persons.
“Students are our youth, our future, our everything – beauty, kindness, and wisdom. We must support them,” he said.
He voiced confidence in their success but acknowledged the challenges ahead: “Victory is ours, but it will be difficult.”
“What they are doing now is a real fight, setting an example for us all on how to act. I have a suggestion – that from next year, March 15 be marked as Youth Day,” he added, referring to the recent mass student gathering in the Serbian capital.
Professor Mirović Joins the Protest
As previously announced, Dejan Mirović, a professor at the Faculty of Law, joined today’s gathering. He was not the only academic present.
“My colleagues were here as well, but I believe there will be more and more of them in the future. We are moving step by step, and let the authorities think – maybe their sound cannon that Vučić claims does not exist will help them,” he stated briefly.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
