High school students at the 20th of October High School in Bačka Palanka staged a protest against the appointment of acting principal Vladimir Trkulja, whose political affiliations with the ruling SNS party have sparked outrage. Trkulja, frequently seen at SNS rallies, has been associated with violent incidents during which citizens were targeted with pyrotechnic devices.
The students, mourning the recent tragedy in Mladenovo where four people lost their lives, observed a minute of silence eschewing whistles and vuvuzelas to convey the seriousness of their grievances, reports N1.
“Today is yet another Day of Mourning. How many days of mourning must we endure in this country? How long must we stand in school courtyards, sacrificing our education, for someone to listen? Here stands the voice of an entire generation, tired of injustice and oppression, watching the best among us leave,” one student said.
The protest was prompted by the dismissal of the previous principal, a decision widely criticized as politically motivated. Students boycotted classes for several days in response to the appointment of Trkulja, who, according to witnesses, actively supported SNS rallies where citizens were endangered.
In a further display of authoritarian control, the acting principal sent a letter warning that participation in the protest would be considered absenteeism and a breach of school rules. “The letter was supposed to scare us, but it revealed that intimidation and force are being used to silence dissent,” the student said.
Determined to reclaim their voice, students have also organized a petition calling for the reinstatement of the dismissed principal. The signatures will be sent to the Ministry of Education next week, signaling their continued resistance against politically motivated interference in the education system.
