ESU Statement regarding students Protest in Serbia

The European Students’ Union (ESU) is deeply concerned by the ongoing developments in Serbia, sparked by student protests. The voices of young people should never be ignored, and the student movement deserves support and protection from all forms of political and physical persecution, media defamation, and violations of academic freedom.

For two months, students across Serbia have been peacefully protesting and occupying higher education institutions in response to a tragic incident at a train station. These protests reflect the younger generation’s hope for a future free from corruption and injustice.

Across the country, tens of thousands of students have been blocking faculty buildings, with professors and teachers striking in solidarity to support their cause. However, despite the peaceful nature of the protests, there have been disturbing reports of physical attacks, threats, media slander, and hostile rhetoric targeting the academic community. These actions represent a serious violation of academic freedom and campus safety.

It has to be emphasised that student movements have always been powerful drivers of positive societal change in Europe, and the dedication of young people in Serbia deserves to be respected. To this end, ESU calls for:

• Institutions to monitor and investigate all breaches of academic freedom and acts of violence and political persecution against protesters, including students, and to ensure their safety on and off campus;
• Uphold student protestors’ universal rights to peaceful assembly, protest, and freedom of expression;
• Fostering an open and respectful dialogue to address the issues at hand;
• Respect and  support the democratic aspirations of Serbian youth, including their  esteem of  transparency and accountability regarding of society;
• Not place the student protests in a disconnected wider geopolitical and historical context.