In Serbia, student protesters call for lasting change

BELGRADE: For months, tens of thousands of Serbian university students have taken to the streets across the country in an anti-corruption crusade after the fatal collapse of a train station roof in November.
Serbia's "Generation Z" holds a unique place in the country's turbulent recent history.
Most were born after or have no memory of the wars and sanctions under Slobodan Milosevic's regime in the 1990s or the assassination of the reformist prime minister

Zoran Djindic

in 2003.
Serbia's youth have come of age mostly during the decade-long rule of President Aleksandar Vucic and his

Serbian progressive party

(SNS) party.

Critics have accused the party of governing with an autocratic hand that has allowed corruption to flourish and the rule of law to suffer.
Following the deaths of 15 people at a train station in Novi Sad, students have emerged as the leaders of a protest movement calling for greater accountability and justice.
To date, the prime minister, transport and trade ministers have all resigned under pressure from the protests. Here, four students explain why they are protesting and what they hope to accomplish.
Why are they protesting?
Vanja Sevic, 22, student of performing arts:
"Today, our right to speak freely, to security, our fundamental rights, are in danger. So it's up to us, as educated people because we are the future of this country we must wake up, and wake up those who are not."
Aleksa Stefanovic, 20, computer science student:
"I see it when people bring donations to the campuses they tell only the saddest stories about why they are supporting us. The truth is, people simply cannot live on the minimum wage."
Emilija Sukovic, 23, dental student:
"These are no longer just student protests. We have gathered a massive number of citizens who stand with us, which only proves that the same issue exists everywhere at my campus, in every institution, in every profession. And that issue is the incompetence of those in certain positions, which of course, leads to the endangering of citizens' safety."
Jelena Vujanovic, 26, design student:
"I think our parents also had that same rebellious spirit when Milosevic was overthrown (in 2000). But since the situation did not truly change, they likely felt defeated, as if they had failed. And because of that, this need for change has continued to simmer, and now it has reached us."
What next?
Jelena: "Until the institutions are free, we will not back down. That is the firm decision of all of us who are in this blockade."
"The concessions and statements we hear often come with conditions
0.
threats, even hate speech. At first, these things affected me I was a little scared, wondering what would happen next. But as time passes, I understand, and we all understand, that none of that matters. We are together, we are strong, and we will not give up."
Vanja: "I have only one exam left just one. But I will postpone it for as long as necessary because this fight is far more important."
"Whether I graduate today, tomorrow, in a year, two, three, or five it truly does not matter. What matters far more is that when I graduate, and when all of us graduate, we enter a society where we can work without needing a party membership card, where we can work based on our experience, knowledge, and competence. Simply put, a fair society."
Emilija: "I have no trust in the ruling structures, and I think that is what motivates many students and citizens to be where we are today at protests, on the streets, at blockades and on strike."