On April 18, several thousand people welcomed students in Novi Sad, Serbia, who were cycling to Strasbourg, France, to present to European officials the demands of months of protests and blockades.
The students, who traveled 1.400 kilometers on bicycles, were welcomed in front of the Rectorate with a red carpet, music, whistles, and applause.
"Your bike tour was a symbol of resistance, hope and an unwavering fight for justice. Your letter delivered in Stazbur resonated far beyond borders. You showed the world that young people are not silent and that they have the power to change things," said one of the students at the reception.
She thanked her colleagues for "writing the message with their pedals that fear can be overcome and truth can be fought for."
"This fight is not over, but you have shown us the path that we will continue together," the student said.
A group of 80 students left Novi Sad on April 3rd and arrived in Strasbourg on April 15th, where they met with European parliamentarians and presented them with letters for European institutions.
They drove between 80 and 145 kilometers daily, while in total they covered more than 1.300 kilometers on that journey.
They passed through Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Germany and finally arrived in France, and festive receptions were organized in the places they passed through.
The focus of the demands of students who have been blocking faculties in Serbia for more than four months is the determination of criminal and political responsibility for the deaths of 16 people in the collapse of the railway station canopy in Novi Sad on November 1, 2024.
The publication of complete documentation on the reconstruction of the station building is a key demand that the students have made to Serbian institutions.
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