Students from Novi Sad, Belgrade, Kraljevo, Čačak, Niš, Novi Pazar, Raška, and Gornji Milanovac are making their way to Kragujevac – some on foot, some by bicycle. Despite various obstacles and exhaustion, citizens along the way are stepping in to help. So far, two groups of students – one from Kragujevac and one from Novi Sad – have made their way to Belgrade. Students are carrying the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia in their hands, reminding everyone of what they have been fighting for over the past three months. People from all over the country are also collectively organizing their own trips to Kragujevac.
Students’ accommodation: sports facilities and greenhouses
Students from Niš, as part of the 150 kilometer march titled “Nowhere is Too Far for Justice”, arrived in Aleksinac two nights ago, where they slept in a sports facility before continuing their journey yesterday morning.
Students from Belgrade and Novi Sad who set off for Kragujevac on foot two days ago were less fortunate. According to students from the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade, some spent the night in the premises of Sopot football club, others in a greenhouse at the Dr. Čupić farm, and some wherever local residents could accommodate them.
The initial plan was for students to sleep in an athletic center. However, as reported by Nova, Živorad Milosavljević, the mayor of the municipality, told citizens and organizers that schools get to decide on the use of the hall since they are state property, requiring the students receive permission.
“People organized themselves, donated food, gave money – everyone contributed however they could. Most of the people from the football club Sopot helped, but also those from Mladenovac, Ralja, Arilje, and Aranđelovac sent blankets and other supplies. The city is filled with an unprecedented joy, so strong that I am sure we will welcome them tonight literally as liberators,” said Ivan Životić, a history teacher at the Economic-Trade School in Sopot, speaking to Nova yesterday.
Cyclists travel from Novi Sad to Kragujevac
A group of about fifty students and professors set out by bicycle from the University of Novi Sad toward Kragujevac yesterday morning, Beta reports.
Yesterday they traveled from Novi Sad to Belgrade, where they spent the night. Today, they are continuing to Aranđelovac, and will reach Kragujevac on Saturday morning.
The town of Knić will serve as a meeting spot for students from Novi Pazar, Raška, Kraljevo, Čačak, and Gornji Milanovac. There, they will be met by fellow students from Kragujevac University. According to Glas Šumadije, students marching will converge on Thursday, February 13, at around 7 PM, where they will be welcomed by local community members.
For the Uprising and Constitution, Let’s meet on Statehood day
Serbia’s Statehood Day is celebrated on February 15, marking the beginning of the First Serbian Uprising against the Ottoman Empire in 1804. Thirty-one years later, on the same day, the first Constitution of the Principality of Serbia, known as the “Sretenje Constitution”– one of the most progressive constitutions in Europe at the time – was adopted in Kragujevac.
In honor of this important date, students from Kragujevac have prepared an extensive protest program.
Starting at 9 AM, a stand to fundraise for children battling cancer will be set up in front of the Faculty of Medicine, operating until midnight. At the same time, another stand will be collecting donations for animal shelters and rescue organizations, located in the green area near the fountain.
An exhibition of protest materials created during university blockades will also open at 9 AM, near the Most bookstore. Additionally, an interactive canvas activity will allow citizens to write down and leave their impression of the blockade. This canvas will be displayed on the street above the park with food. Another creative activity, the “gramophone stand”, will be available near the T-shirt stand, where people can leave voice messages for the protesting students.
From 10 AM to 1 PM, medical students and professors will operate a medical stand, providing free blood pressure and measuring blood sugar levels. This stand will be located between the children’s area and the sports field, where sports activities will take place from 9 AM until midnight.
Near Hala Jezero, people can bring T-shirts and have them printed with protest-related designs using screen-printing techniques, available from 1 PM to 6 PM.
Chess enthusiasts can participate in a tournament near the Svetozar Marković elementary school from 1 PM to 5 PM. During this time, people will also be able to symbolically “connect their city to Kragujevac” using “threads of freedom,” a red-thread installation near the entrance to the small park.
Students have also planned activities for children, which include workshops held by the Faculty of Education.
Starting at 2 PM, two piano performances will take place in the mixed-zone area.
In the evening, the main stage will host monologues, poetry readings, and performances by students and actors.
A.G.A.
