The “Student Edict” protest concluded shortly after midnight in Niš, marked by a moment of silence dedicated to those who lost their lives in the recent collapse of a canopy at the Novi Sad railway station. This solemn reflection lasted for fifteen minutes, commencing at 23:52.

A significant number of students and citizens from across Serbia participated in the latter part of the protest, which transitioned into a community effort to clean the streets of the central city that had been filled with demonstrators throughout the day.

The protest’s namesake, the student edict, was introduced by University of Niš students the previous evening in the central square, symbolizing “a vow to the future and a vision for the nation they aspire to inhabit.”

This edict comprises eight provisions centered on themes of freedom, justice, youth, dignity, knowledge, solidarity, and a hopeful future, effectively serving as a student constitution.

Students from Niš expressed a deepening desire for their country to become a law-abiding state, emphasizing their commitment to remain and improve it.

“They anticipate that we will become weary, that our values can be compromised, and that our dissent can be easily quelled. However, they fail to grasp that our determination for a law-governed country, where we want to live and thrive, is much stronger,” stated Natalija Dimitrijević, a student at the University of Niš, addressing the crowd in the central square.

The rally unfolded peacefully, thanks to excellent organization. Participants were offered complimentary food and drinks throughout the day and night from various stands set up by local hosts, featuring beans, diverse soups, grilled meats, dried meats, sausages, and an assortment of homemade snacks and desserts.

The rally organizers ensured that one lane on Voždova Street remained accessible for ambulances throughout the day.

Provisions for water tanks and a medical assistance point were made available for the attendees.

A prominent banner reading “General Strike” was displayed at King Milan Square in the heart of the city.

The protest garnered support from bikers, farmers, artists, and athletes, who also prepared food for distribution free of charge in the park adjacent to the Faculty of Law.

Vladimir Štimac, a former player on the national basketball team, conveyed to Beta the significance of supporting the students at this pivotal moment.

“It’s crucial that we rally around the students, as they have accomplished something unprecedented in the last 30 years. They represent the best of what we have—an overwhelming majority—we must support them wholeheartedly and empower them to advance,” he expressed to Beta agency.

The protest flooded the central streets with large crowds, making it nearly impossible to find seating in nearby restaurants, cafes, and taverns. One tavern owner shared with a Beta reporter that all reservations had been fully booked two weeks prior.

Demonstrators waved flags and utilized whistles and vuvuzelas that were available for purchase throughout the city.

Several banners proclaimed: “We are the voice of the future, you are the face of the past,” “Pump,” “Niš is ours,” “We traveled from Novi Sad to Niš to tell them to go, go, go,” and “If you wish to win, you must pump”…

The blockade choir performed at the stage outside the “Ambassador” hotel, singing the Serbian national anthem, the student anthem “Gaudeamus igitur,” as well as songs like “This is Serbia,” “Far Away,” “The Bumblebee Swore,” and “Let Love Shine Everywhere.”

Throughout the day, a mix of pop and rock music, largely from ex-Yugoslav artists of the early 80s, resonated from loudspeakers. Later in the afternoon, participants engaged in a so-called blockade dance, culminating in fireworks and a torchlight procession.

Students distributed flyers inviting citizens to a significant rally set to take place in Belgrade in two weeks, on Saturday, March 15th.

In response, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić stated he “thinks nothing” of the Niš rally, wishing participants well but hoping for peaceful proceedings.

He characterized the protests across Serbia as a “colored revolution” once again.

Vučić and other government officials have repeatedly labeled the mass protests sparked by the Novi Sad railway station canopy collapse and the loss of 15 lives as attempts at a “colored revolution,” aiming to destabilize the state.

“Colored revolutions” refer to protests that toppled authoritarian regimes in former Soviet nations.

Students who have been occupying over 60 faculties across Serbia since late November are calling for accountability—both criminal and political—for the tragedy in Novi Sad and for the prosecution of those who have attacked them and other citizens during the protests.

The government, under the leadership of President Aleksandar Vučić, contends that the students’ demands have been addressed.

However, students and the academic community vehemently disagree with this assertion.

Prior to Niš, students organized a 15-hour protest in Kragujevac, a 27-hour blockade on the Freedom Bridge in Novi Sad, and a 24-hour blockade at Autokomanda, a key traffic hub in Belgrade.

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