As former students and graduates of the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, alongside fellow artists, cultural workers, and members of Belgrade and Serbia’s artistic community, we stand firmly behind our colleagues who are currently staging a blockade of the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, they said in a statement.
We fully endorse the protesters’ demands and call on the public to join us in pressuring authorities to identify and/or verify the identity of all individuals involved in the recent violent assault on Faculty of Dramatic Arts students and faculty members. We insist on criminal charges being filed against the perpetrators, and where public officials are involved, we demand their immediate dismissal from their positions, said the statement signed by 358 people.
They added that they denounce the violence against peaceful protesters who are demanding justice for the crime committed in Novi Sad, stressing that, from the outset, activists have faced arrests, intimidation, and police brutality.
As alumni, we echo our current students’ statement that the violence against our community is not an isolated incident, but a danger we are all exposed to, everywhere and at all times, they said.
They noted that “the role of artists in dark times cannot and must not be passive, and that art serves as both a mirror and a guidepost for every society and community.”
The nature of our calling is public engagement, and therefore we have a responsibility to speak out and remain consistent in our demands for justice, respect, and accountability, the statement said.
“We thank our colleagues for the public lesson in courage and civic responsibility they are demonstrating by maintaining a blockade of the Faculty of Dramatic Arts,” said the statement.