Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Serbian cities on Friday. They took part in a general strike organized by students who occupied the university. The protests were also attended by many shops, schools, cultural institutions and the largest independent media outlets. Serbian opposition parties are considering forming an interim government.
Thousands of protesters gathered in central Belgrade, Novi Sad, Nis, Kragujevec, Pančevo, Üstí and small towns in Serbia. Posters were pasted in the windows of closed shops, cafes, cinemas and bookstores announcing participation in the protests and support for the students who have occupied more than 60 faculties across the country for several weeks.
In the capital, a column of thousands of protesters moved from government headquarters through a bridge over the Sava River to the other side of the city. A car plowed into demonstrators gathered in this part of the capital. One woman was injured and taken to the hospital. The woman driving the car was stopped by police.
Serbia. Thousands of people took to the streets to take part in a general strike
Thousands of people also marched in the streets in Novi Sad, where part of the roof of a train station collapsed on November 1 last year, killing 15 people. The event sparked a wave of mass protests and a blockade of university departments.
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For almost three months, protesters have been demanding, among other things: Hold those responsible for disasters politically and criminally accountable and prosecute those responsible for attacks on peaceful demonstrators.
Miroslav Aleksic, an opposition lawmaker from the Serbian National Movement, said on Friday that the rebels were “preparing a proposal to create a transitional government” that would be “a way out of the socio-political crisis”.
General strike in Serbia. The media is also involved
A rally of supporters of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party and President Aleksandar Vučić is also scheduled to be held in Jagodina, central Serbia, on Friday night. The politician had previously announced the launch of a “new national movement” that would “take responsibility for the future of Serbia”.
On Thursday, the trade union of Serbian cultural institutions and Serbia’s largest independent media announced their participation in the strike. N1 and Nova television, the daily newspaper “Danas”, the weekly magazine “Vreme” and the news agencies Beta and Fonet.
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