Students and citizens supporting them gathered once again on the evening of April 9 in front of the Radio Television of Serbia (RTS) building in Belgrade.
The protest was called urgently through social media after RTS’s Dnevnik 2 news program reported that the Belgrade Academy of Business and Arts Professional Studies had ended its blockade.
“We urge everyone to gather urgently at 10 PM in front of RTS so that we can say during Dnevnik 3 that lying is not nice,” stated the protesting students.
The administration of the Belgrade Academy had announced on April 3 that classes for the summer semester would begin on April 7. However, the student plenum rejected this decision, maintaining the blockade.
Protesters in front of RTS chanted “Lying is not nice” and “We are still in blockade,” while Takovska Street in central Belgrade was blocked.
The students have staged multiple protests in front of RTS over the past several months, demanding objective coverage of demonstrations that began following a tragic incident in Novi Sad.
In mid-March, students blockaded the public broadcaster’s building for 22 hours after a journalist allegedly referred to them as a “mob” during the evening news. Journalist Bojana Mlađenović denied insulting the students, stating her words were taken out of context. RTS at the time accused the students of carrying out a “violent blockade.”
Following several mass protests, part of the RTS staff also expressed dissatisfaction, calling for the dismissal of the broadcaster’s leadership over its handling of the situation.
