Student Protest '96 - '97

January 30th, 1997

11:00 CET
(10:00 GMT)

The students organized a similar action as yesterday. They gathered at their individual school during the morning, but joined forces at the train station this time. Processions of students walked the streets around noon and concentrated at the main train station where they blocked the traffic. By 12.30 there was more than 10,000 students crowded in the street.

The second free walk in a month started up Nemanjina street, and then up Kneza Milosa street. While passing the building of the National Radio-Television Network the students specially expressed their displeasure with the editorial policy of the television. At the next corner (Ivo Lola Ribar) the procession passed by the home of the famous Baka Olga, who greeted the students with the usual enthusiasm. The students replied by simultaneously waving all the present school flags. Even though there was no noticeable potential for violence against the physical aspects of the regime-controlled media, student security guards were posted in front of the RTS building, Radio Beograd and Politika. The students returned to the Plato from here.

At the Plato the students were awaited by the portable loud speaker system in Knez Mihajlova street. It was announced that a special session of the University Council was taking place at the moment in the Chancellorship, but that the Deans who supported the student demands had left the meeting and were situated at the School of Philosophy. This action of the Deans was greeted by the crowd. The people then moved in front of the Chancellorship in order to wait for the decisions of the meeting. The Deans who supported the students announced that they were stopping all official communication with the Chancellor, and so the rally ended.

Teanosugar & Wolfe


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