Rallies were held across the US and Canada on Sunday in support of students who have been blocking universities for months and protesting demanding accountability for the deaths of 15 people at the Novi Sad train station. Rallies were organized in Washington, Chicago, Boston, Nantucket, Miami, Tampa, Los Angeles, Houston, Toronto, Vancouver...
Several dozen people attended a rally in support of students in Serbia, which was organized for the second time in front of the Capitol building in Washington.
Members of the diaspora who came to Capitol Hill at noon carried banners reading "Our children, DC is with you", "Because what comes to your mind, comes to our head", "Your bloody fairy tale", and a large banner "Washington, DC is with you" was unfurled in front of the crowd.
The crowd stood for 15 minutes on the steps in front of the Congress, and there were significantly more people than at the first rally.
Maja Nikolić has been living in Washington since 2019, when she came to pursue her doctoral studies. She was also at the first protest.
"I really like that the youth in Serbia has finally woken up. I have a feeling, a hope that we can finally live in the system I want to live in... I want to return to the country, but not the way it is today, I want a country where institutions do their job, where the system functions, the state protects citizens," she tells Voice of America.
Nebojša, who has lived in America since 2000, tells Voice of America that he came here to finish high school.
"When I was leaving, my dad told me - go there and stay, there's nepotism here, it'll never get better. It's been 25 years since then, unfortunately not much has changed, it's changed for the worse... I'm here to support students, the youth are the future after all. I hope that at least some changes will come."
Milica, who has been studying in America for three years, hopes for the same.
"We are fighting for a healthier society, where the rule of law applies," she says.
Chicago
Chicago, like Washington, held a second protest in support of the students, in front of the Serbian consulate in that city. The protesters carried banners reading "Beyond borders, but not beyond the fight" and "With you with all my heart."
Pavle Steković, who organized the protest in Chicago, came to America from Gornji Milanovac 7 years ago, as his father also lives in that city and works in plumbing. He came to America for a better life, as he says, it wasn't that great in Serbia.
"Somehow I found myself in America and I'm staying in America, but I will never forget my roots and Serbia, that's in my heart forever. One day I will return there and I will die there. I support all my brothers and sisters, friends, grandparents, godparents and relatives, every single one, because they live there and I came out here today because of them," Steković told Voice of America.
He estimates that there were twice as many people as last time and that the gathering was peaceful. He states that the people who came were disappointed with the situation in Serbia.
"We all support the students to the fullest extent and hope that they will persevere. We hope that justice will prevail and that there will be no more injustice," added Steković.
According to Steković, a 15-minute silence was held, during which time the street was blocked, and the police secured the rally.
Los Angeles
More than 11.52 people gathered at Venice Beach in Los Angeles at 100:XNUMX a.m. local time to show support for student protests in Serbia.
Among them were actors Nikola Đuričko and Marija Karan.
In rainy weather, a 15-minute silence was held for the victims of the accident in Novi Sad.
Those gathered carried banners with the inscriptions "LA is with the students", "Not even the ocean will wash you away", "Surfers are with the students", "When it came to Los Angeles, you are not in charge here either".
One banner in particular stood out - a painted surfboard with the words "You'll never wash your hands."
Danijela Mijailović from Belgrade, who lives near Los Angeles, told Voice of America that she "wholeheartedly supports the protests in Serbia because she doesn't want to mourn her parents and sister under some future canopy because of systemic corruption."
"Or if they or our dog are hit by a car of arrogant fellow citizens who are stepping on the gas through the crowd, because they think they are untouchable. And I want to thank the students for their incredible persistence, organization and courage because they are the ones who unite people and restore hope that something can change, even to those who are dormant."
Simona Popović told Voice of America that the student support rally was organized to show that "Serbia is not alone, and that everyone who left it because it was not going well for them still loves it with all their hearts."
"We want to show great gratitude to the students for showing us that there is hope, light in this darkness. They are that bright future and we want to send them more light from our sunny Los Angeles," says Popović.
Temple in Tampa, Florida
A rally was also organized in Miami, Florida. It symbolically began at 11.52:15 am and a XNUMX-minute silence was held for the victims from Novi Sad.
After holding a peaceful rally, they went for a walk through downtown Miami. According to unofficial estimates, there were about 100 to 200 people.
Those gathered carried banners reading "Miami is with you", "Love for students", and "Only a student can save a Serb".
A protest was also held in Tampa, Florida. Those gathered carried banners reading "Meet the student demands and bye, guys", "Raise anchor and leave, we've been away enough", "Because of you we are far from home", "Far from sight, but not from heart", "I don't want to send my children to Germany".
One of the initiators of the protest, Miloš Galić, said that they gathered in Tampa to support the students who, as he stated, are fighting like lions in Serbia, who are achieving something that no one has been able to do before, and who have perseverance.
"We have recognized their entire movement and want to give them support from the heart of Florida to persevere, not give up, and that whatever they need, and that we as a diaspora can do, we are here to help," said Galić.
Bora Stanković from Zemun, who came to the protest in Tampa, said that he provides great support to students and professors and people who think for themselves.
"Go ahead, hang in there! We are all with you," said Stanković.
"Full support to the students! So far, they have done what we have not been able to do. Bravo for your courage and perseverance. It is time for things to start changing in Serbia, we have been in darkness for too long, and they are our light. Just keep going, we are sending you hurricane-force support!" said protest participant Ana Belincanov Šijačić.
Dejana Petrović says she came to support the students.
"We were all students once, actually I came from one street to another. We have been organizing protests since 2016, because we knew it would be worse, and we thought we couldn't go any deeper than that bottom, and in fact the death of 15 people touched us so much and we all feel so united here. So that tomorrow we can return to that other Serbia, to that more beautiful one, as we remember it, because it's emotional for me to talk about it. There must be changes! So, students, don't give up! If you give up.... though, there's no way, there's no way, because we believe in you, because the youth is the best thing we have in our country, and there are us!", said Petrović.
Houston, Texas
A protest in support of students in Serbia was also held in Houston, Texas. About 50 people gathered, and the rain did not stop them from holding banners on Sunday afternoon that read "Serbia in the heart", "For students and the homeland", "Support has no boundaries", "Support from Houston for young students, for the removal of the Serbian government".
Srđan Lalatović and his wife have been in Houston for 12 years and are extremely glad to have had the opportunity to provide support today.
"Our hearts are full when we see how many people showed up and how many people are with the students in Belgrade and all the citizens of Serbia who want the basic things, which are justice, freedom and for institutions to work," Srđan told Voice of America.
A participant in the rally, who introduced himself as Marko, said he came to the rally because of the situation in Serbia.
"I am here for one simple reason, because unfortunately the situation in our homeland is such that there is no justice, no freedom, there is a single-mindedness, and we simply have to wake up our entire people and explain to them that despite not having their own political convictions, which is completely fine, and wanting to be good soldiers for their party, that above all they need to be good soldiers as people, to be good people. And to understand that they have to change their attitudes and for the state to start functioning," Marko told Voice of America.
Boston and Nantucket, Massachusetts
The protest was held at 11.52:XNUMX a.m. in Boston as well.
Carrying banners reading "Boston is with you", "Demands have not been met", the citizens gathered in this city also said "Boston is with the youth of Serbia".
According to unofficial estimates, there were about 70 people.
"Being part of this gathering is a true reminder of how important our voice and unity are when we want system change. When our people come together abroad, you really feel how important a different reality has always been to all of us," Jovana Dubljević told Voice of America from Boston.
A protest was also held in Nantucket, Massachusetts. Demonstrators carried banners reading "Your Hands Are Bloody," "Support the Educators," "Former Student," and "Corruption Kills."
"Following the developments in Serbia, we decided to come together and provide support to the students. Although there are few of us on Nantucket, we believe that every support is important and we could not remain silent. In my estimation, there are less than 50 of us on the island, and 30 people were present at the gathering, which we consider a great success. We informed the local community about our gathering, and many gave us support by driving past," Anja Braun told Voice of America.
She adds that the fifteen-minute silence lasted from 11:52 to 12:07. A representative of the local media attended the event, so an article about this protest was already published in the local newspaper Inquirer and Mirror.
"Let's not be aunts from Canada forever"
A student support rally was also organized in Toronto, in front of the Serbian Consulate in Canada.
It began symbolically at 11.52:15, the time when the canopy in Novi Sad collapsed, and a 15-minute silence was held for the 200 victims of the tragedy. According to unofficial information, around XNUMX people attended the rally.
Those gathered carried banners reading "Toronto sidewalks with students," "Aunties from Canada are with students," and "Students, count on us."
"Just because we are far away doesn't mean we don't care and we are all very hurt by what is happening at home. And because I have children and I would like us to return one day, so that we don't have to be aunts and uncles from Canada forever," said one protester.
Student Katarina Jovanović says she came to the gathering in Toronto because "she believes it is important for students from the diaspora to support their colleagues in Serbia."
A protest in support of the students was also held in Vancouver, in front of the Art Gallery in that city.
According to unofficial information, about 150 people were present, and at 11.52 a symbolic 15-minute silence was held.
Students have been blocking universities in Serbia for weeks now, following the deaths of 15 people at the Novi Sad Railway Station, and are demanding that their five demands be met: the publication of complete documentation on the reconstruction of the Novi Sad Railway Station, the dismissal of charges against students arrested during protests, the filing of criminal charges against those who attacked students and professors at the Faculty of Economics and Business during the blockade (who are reported by the media to be members of the Serbian National Socialist Party) and the confirmation of their identities. The students are also demanding a 20 percent increase in the budget for higher education.
They announced that they would block the Autokomanda intersection in Belgrade for 27 hours on Monday, January 24th.
The protests and blockades followed the deaths of 15 people in Novi Sad on November 1 when a canopy collapsed at the railway station. The Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad filed an indictment against 13 people late last year, including former Minister of Construction Goran Vesić.
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