Students from three universities in Serbia have called for a general strike on Friday as part of a nationwide anti-corruption movement that has been gathering momentum for the past three months.
After the roof of a train station in the country’s second-biggest city, Novi Sad, collapsed and killed 15 people last November, a wave of protests attracting tens of thousands of people swept up the nation in a call to end corruption in Serbia.
The leaders of the movement are students at state universities in Belgrade, Kragujevac and Nis. They have been blockading classes for weeks to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Miloš Vučević and the mayor of Novi Sad, as well as criminal prosecution of officials responsible for the disaster.
They are also calling for the release of all documents relevant to an upgrade that the station underwent before the roof collapse.
The protesters blame the disaster on corruption and poor renovation work under a deal with Chinese state companies involved in several infrastructure projects across Serbia.
Every day the protesting students have been blocking traffic in front of their faculties for 15 minutes to commemorate the 15 victims.
The students published a call to action on Instagram on Wednesday which received over 63,000 likes.
“The students in the blockade call on the citizens of Serbia for a total suspension of all activities on Friday, January 24,” the caption read.
“We don't go to work, we don't go to lectures, we don't do our daily duties. Let's take freedom into our own hands!” it added.
Some 5,000 academic staff have joined the students. Taxi drivers have offered the protesters free rides, farmers have offered to protect them with their tractors, ordinary citizens have donated food, and even tennis ace Novak Djokovic voiced his support for the students during the Australian Open.
