Thousands of university students, high school seniors and their supporters are marching towards the Serbian capital to take part in the March 15 protest. Pročitaj više

Columns of young people numbering from a few dozen to several hundred have been marching from towns and cities all across the country to reach Belgrade in a repeat of what they and others did over the past 3 months. Mass protests have been held in Novi Sad in the north, Belgrade, Kragujevac in central Serbia and Nis in the south of the country with young people marching or riding bicycles for days to reach those cities and take part in protests.

The protests were launched by university students who are demanding accountability for the deaths of 15 people in the collapse of a concrete awning at Novi Sad Railway Station on November 1. Protests were staged in that northern city, some ending in violence and arrests before university students launched their own protests by taking over their colleges, halting classes. They also introduced the 15 Minutes of Silence starting at 11:52 am, the moment that the awning collapsed. They first stood for 14 minutes in memory of the people killed in the collapse and later extended to 15 minutes when one of the 3 survivors died.

The student marches have accomplished several things – they have brought most of the country together, helped dispel the fear of the authorities that has been present for several years and have informed the public about the reasons for their protest in remote areas where only government-controlled media outlets are available. The marchers are also bypassing efforts to stop masses of people from coming to Belgrade. Some social media reports have claimed that intercity buses and trains have been cancelled.

Local people along the routes taken by the marchers have been greeting them very cordially, providing food and drink. Priests in some parishes have been giving blessings to the marchers, allegedly defying the elders of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) who have been more or less openly siding with the Serbian authorities.

Several of the columns are being accompanied by farmers on tractors who gave their support to the protests from the start.