A student from the University of Novi Pazar sustained minor injuries last night, February 18th, after being struck by a car while attempting to bypass a roadblock in the city, students from Novi Pazar State University reported.

The student, who injured his hand during the incident, mentioned that he and his fellow traffic warden were directing traffic when a car from a convoy started to overtake and subsequently collided with him.

“I barely got away. I jumped and hit the back of another car, which caught me on the arm,” recounted the injured student.

He further noted that the same vehicle later struck his colleague, who managed to take cover in time, while the driver fled the scene.

Local media states that the incident has been reported to the police.

Students, along with supported citizens, have been blocking the main road leading to Montenegro and Prvomajska Street in Novi Pazar since February 18th.

Since Tuesday, they have been blocking two roads, observing a 16-minute silence in memory of the 15 individuals who perished in the collapse of the refurbished Novi Sad Railway Station, as well as student Ernad Bakan, who was killed by a vehicle at a pedestrian crossing in Belgrade.

Protests have continued throughout Serbia on Tuesday, demanding accountability for the deaths of 15 people and the serious injuries to two others in Novi Sad on November 1st.

Blockades Across Serbia on Tuesday

Blockades and fifteen-minute silences for the victims were observed at various locations in Belgrade, Vranje, Šabac, Čačak, Kruševac, Lazarevac, Požega, Užice, Prokuplje, and Leskovac.

Since November 1, protests involving blocked students and citizens have occurred in more than 200 cities and towns throughout the country, drawing participation from hundreds of thousands.

Support rallies for the students engaged in the blockades have taken place in several regional cities, including Ljubljana, Milan, Frankfurt, Vienna, Amsterdam, London, Luxembourg, as well as in North America and Australia.

Students are currently blocking over 60 state faculties across five universities, calling for both criminal and political accountability for the 15 deaths and two severe injuries resulting from the Novi Sad Railway Station canopy’s collapse on November 1st.

Their demands are fourfold: the release of all documentation related to the reconstruction of the Novi Sad Railway Station, prosecution of all individuals involved in the attack on students from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts during a rally in Belgrade on November 22, withdrawal of charges against those arrested at protests, and a 20 percent increase in the budget for faculties.

The Serbian Progressive Party government and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić assert that the students’ demands have been met, while the students in the blockade refute this, claiming that the responsibility lies not with Vučić but with the judiciary and other institutions, and continue their daily demonstrations.

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