Students in the blockade have announced a large protest for Sunday (December 28), when they will collect signatures of citizens in more than 50 cities of Serbia, at more than 180 locations, to call for extraordinary parliamentary elections. "On December 28, the whole of Serbia declares victory!", reads the post on social networks.
This is the first such action since the student movement gained momentum, stood at the head of demonstrations and announced the formation of its own electoral list.
A little over a year ago Slavia about 100.000 people gathered at the invitation of the students. A few months later, at the largest protest in the history of Serbia on March 15, called "15 for 15", according to the Archives of Public Meetings, there were between 275.000 and 325.000 people.
The Vidovdan protest, as well as the gathering on the anniversary of the fall of the canopy, is attended by at least 100.000 people.
Individual protests are organized all the time, but their number, as well as the number of people present, began to decrease over time. One could often hear that the number is not so important, that society has awakened, that it is impossible to maintain the same intensity for such a long period of time.
On Sunday, things are different. The students are clearly asking for the support of citizens, whose signatures will represent a political weapon for further struggle, and their number will define the caliber of murder.
Numbers as a parameter
Protest after protest, each one brought with it some new attempt by the authorities to reduce the number of people gathered. This time, however, the figure will be on paper and the success of the action will be determined based on it.
Student support for the calling of extraordinary parliamentary elections on December 28 can be interpreted as support for the student list, which certain public opinion surveys give a great chance of defeating the coalition gathered around the Serbian Progressive Party and Aleksandar Vučić.
The elections held on December 17, 2023 are a parameter of how many votes the student list will need to defeat Aleksandar Vučić's regime in the elections.
The list of Aleksandar Vucic won about 1,8 million votes, the list of the Socialist Party of Serbia with Ivica Dacic at the head 250.000. The opposition united in Serbia against violence had over 900.000 votes.
In 2022, Aleksandar Vučić won the presidential elections in the first round with 2,2 million votes.
Vuceic announced extraordinary elections for 2026, but did not specify whether they would be parliamentary, presidential or unified.
What is the program like?
The rebel university points out that the protest on Sunday will be different, spread across Serbia, without a central stage, speeches and programs.
The initiative invites everyone who walked, defended, drove, cooked, donated, helped and rescued in the previous year to stand with the students again and put their signature, stressing that the main idea on Sunday is "connection".
The students will be joined on Sunday by professors, associates and researchers from the Pobunjeni University, the Forum of the University of Arts, the Free University of Novi Sad, the Free Universities of Kragujevac and Niš, the Academic Plenum from Novi Sad and the Free State University of Novi Pazar, the statement said.
"I wouldn't call the action on December 28 a protest. It's not a protest, but networking with citizens. A new period is ahead of us, when we all need to become more active and participate together in all those activities, which will help us in the further struggle," one student told Nova.rs.
The students are reminded that the action "Student in every village" is underway, where they visit various municipalities in Serbia and go door to door and talk to citizens.
Calls from all sides
On Friday, the Rebellious University initiative called on citizens to come out to protest in as many numbers as possible on Sunday, December 28, and to support the student initiative to call for extraordinary parliamentary elections with their signatures.
"We have a difficult year behind us. A year that taught us that nothing changes on its own. That institutions only move under pressure. That laws are respected only when we defend them together. And that knowledge, expertise and solidarity are values that must be protected on the street even today," announced the Rebel University.
It is recalled that in the previous 12 months, students, professors, associates and researchers at universities, school teachers, preschool teachers were exposed to pressure, dismissals, arrests, beatings and torture, but despite everything, no one retreated.
The former Serbian national basketball player, Vladimir Štimac, also spoke and called on the citizens to support the student list.
"The twenty-eighth of December is a very important date for all of us, for the whole of Serbia, for our future. During the past few days, we have seen some shameful acquittals and many other things that cannot happen in the rule of law. That is why I remind you that on 28.12 you all go out, that on student websites and websites you can see places in your municipalities where you can give your signatures and thus support the student list," said Vladimir Štimac in a video he published on social networks.
Where will the stands be?
Students in the blockade previously published a list of 89 places across Serbia where they will collect citizens' signatures on Sunday, December 28, to call for extraordinary parliamentary elections.
Aleksinac, Bajina Bašta, Bačka Topola, Belgrade, Bor, Zaječar, Inđija, Niš, Novi Sad, Pančevo, Leskovac are just some of the cities where it will be possible to sign on Sunday.
As they stated on Instagram, stands will be set up in 15 Belgrade municipalities - Voždovac, Vračar, Zvezdara, Zemun, Lazarevac, Mladenovac, Novi Beograd.
There will be stands in the city municipalities of Obrenovac, Palilula, Rakovica, Savski venac, Sopot, Stari grad, Surčin, Čukarica. The booth locations themselves, they added, will be published on "local profiles".
In Niš, the campaign "Declare Victory" will also be held, during which students and citizens will collect signatures at several locations in the city. The signing will last from 11 a.m. to 16 p.m. at Paliluska Rampa, in Svetosavski Park, on Pavle Stojković Square and on Somborski Boulevard, while the central event is scheduled for 16:30 p.m. in the park in front of the Niš City Assembly.
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