For the second time, and for the first time organized by students, a silent protest titled “15 Minutes of Silence for 15 Victims” was held today in front of the Faculty of Philosophy in North Mitrovica.
The gathering began at precisely 11:52 AM and lasted until 12:07 PM, symbolically reflecting the 15-minute duration of silence to honor the victims of the tragic collapse of the renovated Novi Sad train station canopy.
Around 100 participants joined the protest, including students, children, and elderly citizens. Notably absent were professors from the faculty, despite their earlier support for student protests across Serbia. Visible at the protest were banners reading, “Support for Students and Pupils from Kosovo and Metohija” and “If You Managed to Buy a Person, You Wasted Money on Foolishness.”
The event was monitored by members of the Kosovo Police stationed nearby, with a police drone observing the crowd from above.
At the conclusion of the silent protest, the organizers declined to provide statements to the media, explaining that this was a collective decision. However, they emphasized their solidarity with students in central Serbia, who have been protesting for over two months in response to one of the greatest tragedies in recent Serbian history.
The silent protest in North Mitrovica was organized by students of the University of Pristina with a temporary seat in this town, marking their first initiative of this kind. While the students refrained from individual commentary, they invited citizens to join them in honoring the victims and expressing solidarity with their peers.
They also distanced themselves from political parties, stressing that “there is no place for politics at this gathering.”
Meanwhile, in Belgrade, students and citizens are continuing their protests with a 24-hour blockade of one of the city’s major intersections. Under the slogan “Under Our (Auto) Command,” the blockade began this morning at 10 AM, with thousands of students, citizens, high schoolers, teachers, bikers, and farmers participating. Like their counterparts in North Mitrovica, they also observed 15 minutes of silence from 11:52 AM to 12:07 PM to pay tribute to the victims.
Coincidentally, today is also Saint Sava Day, a national holiday celebrating education and Serbian heritage, adding a layer of symbolism to the gatherings.
The silent protest in North Mitrovica follows a similar event held last Friday, organized by a local resident, Srđan Đorđević, at the same location. That initial protest saw disagreements, with the Student Parliament distancing itself from Đorđević’s initiative. However, students who attended the Friday protest later clarified that the parliament’s statement did not reflect the views of all students.
Notably, support for student protests has been growing. Back in December, four professors of the University of Pristina publicly endorsed the movement, followed by an additional seven professors who initiated an online petition. The petition garnered 360 signatures from professors, assistants, and students alike.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
