In early November this year, the canopy of the railway station in Novi Sad collapsed; 15 lives were lost in this tragedy.
This event, which shocked the whole of Serbia, as well as the surrounding region, raised the question of the responsibility around and safety of public facilities. Although more than 30 days have passed since the tragedy, Serbian society and institutions still have not answered who bears responsibility for this disaster. There were eventually some symbolic resignations and arrests; however, they are certainly not enough to compensate for the pain and injustice experienced by the families of the victims.
In response to this situation, university students in Belgrade, Novi Sad, and Niš have taken to the streets. For the past seven days, their faculties have been under blockade as these students continue to demand that the truth about this terrible event finally be uncovered. Despite having faced (and continuing to face) repression, arrests, and violence from security forces and government sympathizers, their determination to continue the fight for justice and truth has not wavered.
Ergo, we—university students in Sarajevo, students of the master’s program in Human Rights and Democracy in Southeast Europe—express our full support and solidarity with the students in Serbia. We support them because we find their demands for justice merited. We extend solidarity because justice and freedom [should] know no borders—and solidarity is the clearest sign that we are committed and ready to fight for such a society.
May freedom, integrity, and unity across communities live. Long live the resistance against injustice.
-ERMA ‘24/’25
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U novembru ove godine, u Novom Sadu, došlo je do tragičnog urušavanja nadstrešnice željezničke stanice, pri čemu je život izgubilo 15 osoba. Ovaj događaj, koji je šokirao čitavu Srbiju, ali i regiju, postavio je pitanje odgovornosti i sigurnosti javnih objekata. Iako je prošlo više od 30 dana od tragedije, srpsko društvo i dalje nema odgovor na pitanje tko je odgovoran za ovu nesreću. Iako je bilo kasnije bilo nekih simboličkih ostavki i privođenja, oni nisu dovoljni da nadomjeste bol i nepravdu koju su proživjele porodice stradalih.
Kao odgovor na ovu situaciju, studenti sa univerziteta u Beogradu, Novom Sadu i Nišu izašli su na ulice. Već sedam dana, njihovi fakulteti su pod blokadom, a oni traže da se istina o ovom strašnom događaju konačno sazna. Iako su se suočili sa represijom, privođenjima i nasiljem od strane snaga sigurnosti i simpatizera vlasti, njihova odlučnost da nastave borbu za pravdu i istinu ne jenjava.
Stoga, mi sarajevski studenti, polaznici master programa demokracije i ljudskih prava, izražavamo svoju punu podršku i solidarnost sa studentima u Srbiji. Pružamo podršku jer smatramo da su njihovi zahtjevi za pravdom ispravni. Pružamo solidarnost jer pravda i sloboda ne poznaju granice, a solidarnost je najjasniji znak da smo spremni da se borimo za takvo društvo.
Neka živi pravda, sloboda i društvena jednakost. Živio otpor nepravdi.
-ERMA ’24/’25
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