In Belgrade’s Terazije, just before midnight on Friday, the final group of students from central and western Serbia arrived for the protest scheduled for Saturday in front of the Serbian Parliament.

Students from Kragujevac displayed a creative banner on the street that read, “Here is our infantry, from (the heart of) Šumadija.”

Students hailing from Kragujevac and Jagodina joined forces with academics from western and central Serbia to make their way to Terazije, marking their arrival as the final delegation in Belgrade that evening.

Much like their earlier counterparts who arrived on bicycles, on foot, and via motorcycles, they were welcomed by the cheers of fellow students and citizens of Belgrade, who shouted “Pump, pump!” and applauded, according to a report from the Beta agency.

A significant number of students and citizens had congregated since around 6:30 PM to welcome academics and others who traveled from various regions of Serbia to participate in the protest in front of the Serbian Parliament.

The gathering was filled with the sounds of whistles and vuvuzelas, as attendees chanted “Pump, pump!” and applauded, while intermittently shouting “Whoever doesn’t jump is a student,” in reference to the word “students” which was scrawled illegibly on a nearby school fence in Vojvodina.

People lined the sidewalks on both sides of the street, stretching nearly 1,700 meters from Terazije to the Yugoslav Drama Theater or almost to the Slavija square.

Colorful torches lit the night.

Traffic was halted on Terazije and the surrounding streets, with numerous student marshals present, though no uniformed police could be seen.

Meanwhile, in the nearby Pioneer Park, where members of the “Student 2.0” association are camped out demanding a return to classes, police were on standby with equipment ready to disperse protests.

Those gathered at Terazije to greet the arriving groups also carried flags from their universities and the state, as well as banners advocating for the fulfillment of student demands.

Students marching from the northern regions of Vojvodina entered from Zemun, while those from western Serbia approached from Obrenovac.

Many residents showed their support by cheering from their windows and terraces, holding up banners and shouting slogans.

The initial arrivals at Terazije were from Novi Sad and Niš who rode bicycles, welcomed on a red carpet and awarded medals for their efforts, as were all subsequent arrivals, including those from Šabac and other locations between that city and Belgrade.

After receiving their welcome at Terazije, they continued to Republic Square for refreshments.

The protesting students demand transparency regarding the documentation related to the reconstruction of the Novi Sad Railway Station, the dropping of charges against detained students, activists, and citizens from past protests concerning the tragic events in Novi Sad, as well as the filing of criminal charges against all aggressors against students, professors, and citizens, and a 20 percent increase in the university budget.

Government officials assert that they have met all student demands, a claim denied by the students.

News