Two rallies are being held in Serbia on Saturday - the national assembly "We do not give Serbia", to which the populist Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić invited supporters, and the second, "Freedom rules the bazaar", in Novi Pazar, which is organized by a student movement in that multi-ethnic environment.
These two gatherings, according to many assessments, show a divided Serbia because Vučić, who will promote a new gathering today, the Movement for the People and the State, is trying to dampen the mass protests led by the student movement, while the students, among other things, want to emphasize that in a civil society of justice and solidarity there is no place for prejudice and separation between Serbs and Bosniaks, who are the majority population in Novi Pazar.
Novi Pazar students joined the student protests almost from the very beginning and have so far participated together in all major protests across Serbia.
The students, who arrived last night on foot and by bicycle from all over Serbia, were given a warm welcome in Novi Pazar with a red carpet and plenty of undisguised emotions, and a white dove of peace was symbolically released from the gathering as a symbol of togetherness and solidarity.
Thousands of people in Novi Pazar are participating in a 12-hour rally today at the invitation of students, "Freedom rules the market." At the same time, dozens of buses are bringing Vučić's supporters to the rally in Belgrade, with paid per diems and free food and drinks. The center of Belgrade is blocked, public transport is practically suspended, and Vučić's speech is expected in the central part of the all-day program at around 19 p.m.
The arrival of Vučić's supporters is accompanied by tensions and attempts to make it impossible or difficult for buses to get to Belgrade.
So this morning, in Novi Pazar, a group of students and citizens lay down on the road in an attempt to prevent buses carrying supporters of the Serbian president from heading to Belgrade.
In the incident, which was accompanied by jostling, swearing and shouting "protect the criminals" and "don't beat your children", police officers, some of whom wore face masks, literally used limited force to remove most of the crowd from the road by dragging them by their arms and legs. One student was slightly injured.
Students and citizens then gathered in protest in front of the police station.
At the same time, a group of 80 students continues to cycle in the "Tour to Strasbourg" campaign, whose goal is to point out to the leaders of the European Union the situation in Serbia and the months-long political and social crisis triggered by the death of 16 people in the fall of the canopy at the Novi Sad railway station on November 1. That tragedy started a wave of protests demanding criminal and political responsibility of the authorities for corruption and sloppily executed works at the station.
After a mass welcome in Munich, the students continued their journey to Strasbourg today, where they plan to arrive on April 15th.
Photo: FAH/JOVANA KULASEVIC
