Student Protest '96

December 1st, 1996

12:00 CET
(11:00 GMT)
A high number of students gathered in front of the Faculty of Philosophy,same as previous days. Many guests addressed students, both those who were present and those who were not.

The guests who gave their speeches were professors from various colleges: the Faculty of Organizational Sciences, the same one that, according to RTS (Serbian National Radio-TV Network), has by no means gone on strike, the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Agriculture, etc.

The students read an appeal to their parents, calling upon them to support their children, to supply them with food and beverages, and to join them. This appeal was read once again in the course of today's protest.

The students also heard a poem written by Djordje Balasevic, a famous singer and a song-writer, in which he expressed his support to the Student Protest. At the end of the gathering, the students heard the academic chorus "Obilic" sing "Gaudeamus Igitur".

13:00 CET
(12:00 GMT)
The organized walk, as it had become a practice during previous days,started at 1:00 PM. The route was as follows: Plato -> Srpskih Vladara Street -> Slavija Square -> Bulevar JNA Street -> Bircaninova Street -> General Zdanova Street -> Nemanjina Street -> Kneza Milosa Street -> by the building of the Federal Parliament -> by the building of "Borba" and "Dom Omladine" -> Republic Square -> back to Plato. The students whistled, sang, showed their students' grade booklets and shouted during the walk.

The students were warmly greeted by the citizens who happened to be in the streets during the walk, among whom we noticed Mr. Dragoslav Avramovic, former Governor of Yugoslav National Bank, who greeted the participants of the protest walk warmly. The students greeted back. At the corner of General Zdanova St. and Nemanjina St, condoms were hung on the door of the building in which most of Serbian ministries are. A banner carrying the slogan: "Condoms for the poltroons; we don't want them to catch anything when they suck up", was also hung on this door. The whole action went under the name "Condoms for the Poltroons". The building of "Borba" and "Vecernje Novosti" was booed at again today. The rain was pouring during the whole protest walk, but it could not drive the students away from the streets. They only quickened their pace and reached the Plato a little earlier (2:15 PM). The loudspeakers were then installed once again.

At the end of the today's protest, the schedules and gathering places for all colleges were read. It was also reported that, although the number of the participants of the protest was lower today than it was during previous days (about 10 000), a multitude of students would join the protest walk tomorrow. The arrival of a high number of students from the University of Kragujevac is also expected. It was stated that the students who were not in Belgrade during the "holidays" had the "sacred" duty to inform their acquaintances from various parts of the country about the events in Belgrade and to explain our demands to them. In spite of the rain, the students went through with their protest walk, which is the proof of their firm intention to persist in their Protest.

Thanks to studprot@sezam.co.yu


Back to Streets index
Back to the Home Page