Police again used excessive force on the students and those gathered in the building Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad and pushed everyone gathered out of the building that the students blocked in advance.
The multi-hour blockade and police action ended, and the students said that they will not stop until Jelena Kleut is returned to the faculty and until they have a free University, adding that the fight continues.
Photo: 021.rsPolice suppress students
The students previously said in a live broadcast on their Instagram account that the police were around the faculty and had previously pushed them out of the building. A uniformed policeman called the blocking students to leave the building through a megaphone, and then the police responded and pushed back the crowd.
Police in equipment to break up demonstrations were also in the faculty reading room, 021 reported.
The situation then calmed down, the police cordon stood at the Rectorate, and citizens on the other side.
The police physically removed the students from the college, reports 021.
Support from Kragujevac and Niš
The blockaded students of the University of Kragujevac called for a protest in support of their colleagues at the Faculty of Philosophy and Professor Jelena Kleut. The gathering is at 19:00 at Đački trg, from where the protest walk will start.
"Despite fulfilling the conditions and long-term engagement, Professor Jelena Kleut was refused appointment to the position without a clear explanation and was handed a dismissal, which grossly violated academic autonomy and fairness", stated the students from Kragujevac on their Instagram profiles.
The students blocking the faculties in Niš also called on their fellow citizens for an urgent protest regarding the police raid on the Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad.
The gathering is scheduled for 19 p.m., in front of the Basic Court building.
What came before?
Since associate professor Jelena Kleut was dismissed from the Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad, students in the blockade started a blockade of this faculty on Wednesday (January 21), but dean Milivoj Alanović presented a request to free the faculty.
The gathered did not listen to him, and at the invitation of the dean, the police and then the Gendarmerie arrived at the university.
After the warning, the police started pushing the students out of the college.
The dean, who had already called the police to the university once, after which demonstrators clashed with members of the MUP, while the police were at the university for days, asked the people protesting the dismissal of Jelena Kleut to leave the building.
He previously said that "the administration will be forced to take measures that no one wants", if the building of this higher education institution is not unblocked.
"This faculty is not capable of teaching without Jelena Kleut. We are not going anywhere until Professor Kleut is returned to lectures and this institution," the students said, asking the crowd to stay as long as possible in the faculty building.
The students in the blockade of the Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad previously invited citizens and colleagues to come to the front of that building, as they had given the faculty administration until 2:00 p.m. to leave the faculty building, as vice-dean Dejan Pajić had threatened them with a repeat of the event from 5. September, when the police reacted violently to student protests.
The students claim that Pajić called on the students to give up the blockade and said that it depends on them "whether we will watch the scenes from September 5 again", reports FoNet.
Let us recall that on September 5, at a protest against police brutality, the police used excessive force against the demonstrators. Dozens of tear gas canisters were fired, there were dozens of arrests.
They were previously at the Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad gathered students and professors to support the professor Jelena Kleut, whose employment contract was not extended. They said - if Cleut can't teach, nobody will listen to lectures today. The Faculty of Philosophy was blocked, and the students gave a deadline of 14 p.m. for the administration to leave the building, the portal 021.rs reported.
"Our request is clear, the return of Jelena Kleut and that she be given the opportunity to work, that her annex contract be extended. We have given the administration until 2:00 p.m. to leave the building, we will take over," said the student.
That didn't happen.
Students brought air mattresses and sleeping bags to the faculty building in preparation for the blockade.
The dean demanded that the building be unlocked
The dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, Milivoj Alanović, also addressed those present in the building earlier on Wednesday, during whose speech there were protests and chants of "Resignation" and "Management out".
He said that there is no legal basis on which Jelena Kleut could keep her employment at the university from today.
"I would like to ask my colleague Kleut to inform you that the faculty has absolutely no legal options. My colleague Kleut is familiar with all legal procedures," Alanović said.
At one point, he also addressed the "raucous crowd that is blowing him up, saying that the faculty will not be blocked."
"We are canceling the blockade of the Faculty. We request you to vacate the premises of the Faculty as soon as possible. Please vacate the Faculty so that the administration is not forced to take measures to ensure this. The Faculty has absolutely no legal options in this case. Therefore, dear colleagues, I ask you to vacate the Faculty as soon as possible and enable normal functioning," concluded Alanović.
Kleut: We must defend the university
Photo: 021.rsJelena Kleut in front of students
On the day when the protest was organized by the students of Novi Sad and the academic network Slobodan Univerzitet, Jelena Kleut was handed the decision of the Faculty of Philosophy terminating her employment at the Department of Media Studies.
At the beginning, it was said that the protest, instead of in front of the faculty, would be held inside the building, because "the problem is inside". However, the protest soon turned into a blockade of the Faculty of Philosophy.
Students and those gathered shouted: "Jelena Kleut".
"Thank you, thank you for your love. Thank you to my colleagues from Filozofskogo, thank you to my students. Thank you to all the citizens who are here today. I know that you are shouting 'Jelena', but you are thinking of the entire University and that is why you are shouting. We must defend the University", said Kleut in front of the crowd.
Those gathered stuck posters with the question "Who's next?" Those present then started a protest walk around the faculty building.
Photo: 021.rsStudents in the hall of the Faculty of Philosophy
Let us remind you that after the decision of the expanded Senate of the University of Novi Sad was received on Tuesday, the administration of Filozofski drafted and delivered a decision by which Kleut was dismissed from the Department of Media Studies.
Kleut complained about the decision of the Senate not to be elected to the position of full professor based on the objection that was submitted after the legal deadline. The extended composition of the Senate rejected her objection, and this decision was interpreted as political retaliation, given that professional bodies gave a positive assessment to her paper for election to the position.
Jelena Kleut announced a lawsuit because of this decision.
Source: 021.rs/FoNet
