After a tragic railway station collapse in Novi Sad and subsequent interference with a peaceful vigil, Serbian students have been protesting against their country’s corruption and current government since late November of last year. Students have been demanding the release of documents relating to the construction of the railway and prosecution of those who had attacked the protesters as well as the release of students who have been arrested for partaking in them.
Continuing their protests for almost four months, the students have been continuously supported by the University of Belgrade and many other institutions as well as citizens. Consequently, this movement has become, according to Slavoj Žižek, one of the largest student-led movements in Europe since 1968 and the largest protest in Serbian history. However, despite their efforts, the students’ demands have not been met, and the government has accused the protesters of being “supported by foreign powers” multiple times.
The protests have seen mass support, with videos and pictures circulating on social media of senior citizens supporting the students with food and water. In February, the students were supported in their traffic blockade by truck drivers and other motorists.
While the Western response and coverage have been slow, on the sixth Comhairle on March 11th TCDSU (Trinity College Students’ Union) adopted a motion of support for university students in Serbia. This means that the Union can now lobby for the College to officially support the Serbian student movement and the University of Belgrade.
Speaking about the motion, the motion proposer, Jovan Jeromela stated that, “My primary motive for submitting this request was to inform Trinity students and staff about the perseverance and dedication that their colleagues in Serbia are showing at the moment,” further stating that, “I hoped that the news of the Motion passing and the Trinity students union officially noting and supporting the Serbian students would be a welcome change in this outside perception.”
Detailing the protests Jeromela expressed hope for the student movement stating, Student actions like these are reawaking hope across Serbia that a change is finally possible, as evidenced by many moving videos of very old and very underprivileged residents of villages on the way, offering passing students the little they have to support them, while residents of bigger towns along the way organise fireworks and mass-gatherings.”
Jeromela also acknowledged the lack of representation of these protests in the media saying, “And yet, there have been very few reports in the Irish media about the events happening, and the few reports that have been published focused mostly on the most bombastic events with little information provided on the broader context and the significance of the grassroots student movement that fuels this change.”
Finally expressing gratitude to the TCDSU President for supporting and adopting the resolution as well as the Council members for unanimously approving the motion, Jeromela hopes that, “Trinity College officials will follow suit, and I, as a postgrad rep at the Trinity Board and the Global Engagement Committee, will try to do my end to see that happen as well”.
The College as well as TCDSU have previously expressed their support for students in both Ukraine and Gaza, with College offering a number of mental health and administrative supports for Ukrainian students since 2022 and providing scholarships for Palestinian students and staff. TCDSU have also held multiple solidarity protests for both the Ukrainian and Palestinian cause.
Further, a gathering of solidarity will be held at the General Post Office on March 15th at noon to express support for the Serbian students and their cause.
