Serbian students participating in an ultra-relay marathon toward Brussels continued their journey today, departing from Osijek, Croatia. Their next stop is Virovitica, with today’s leg covering 118 kilometers.
The group, consisting of around twenty students, began their marathon on April 25 from Novi Sad’s railway station, where a tragic roof collapse killed 16 people on November 1, 2024. Their goal is to bring their demands from months-long protests and university blockades directly to European officials.
The students run in rotating groups, switching after covering certain distances. They plan to arrive in Brussels by May 12, ahead of a European Parliament session, carrying letters that detail the political and social situation in Serbia.
The movement continues the initiative of another group of Serbian students who earlier this month cycled 1,400 kilometers to reach European institutions in Strasbourg.
In Serbia, protests and blockades led by students have been ongoing for months. Their main demands include accountability for the railway station tragedy. Despite government claims that their demands have been fulfilled, students insist they have not and are determined to maintain the blockades. Their movement has gathered wide support from university professors, educators, farmers, lawyers, and actors, alongside hundreds of thousands of citizens.
