Belgrade Centre for Human Rights will join the general strike on Friday, January 24, 2025, standing in solidarity with the students from the Universities of Belgrade, Novi Sad, Niš, and Kragujevac.
For over two months, students have been blocking university faculties across Serbia, urging citizens to join a nationwide general strike as a form of civil disobedience. The autocratic response of the Serbian regime to student demands and protests caused a series of smear campaigns, physical attacks (including hitting the student by car), graffiti with threats etc. Therefore Serbian students call on all citizens to refrain from work on January 24, take a day off, and cancel all scheduled meetings and duties. They also appeal to employers to grant staff a day off, suspend operations, and explain the reasons to clients. For those facing resistance from their employers, students suggest taking sick leave or donating blood as an alternative act of solidarity.
The students’ call extends to avoiding all commercial and recreational activities on this day, including visits to cafes, restaurants, shops, markets, malls, fitness centers, cinemas, theaters, cultural events, and parties. Citizens are encouraged to join street blockades planned in various cities across Serbia.
Recent months in Serbia have been marked by widespread protests and institutional blockades, with hundreds of thousands of citizens expressing dissatisfaction with the current system. The catalyst for this resistance was a tragic incident in Novi Sad on November 1, 2024, when the collapse of a railway station canopy claimed 15 lives. This tragedy, attributed to corruption and substandard reconstruction, ignited public outrage and demands for accountability.
University students’ demands include:
Despite the persistence and determination of the movement, these demands remain unmet.
What began as a response to a devastating tragedy has grown into a powerful call for justice, accountability, and systemic reform. This movement represents a fight for transparency, democracy, and the rule of law in Serbia.
