Belgrade: Students demand objective information, banner "RTS workers are with students" unfurled from RTS building

AUTHOR:M.J. GDNUS

Students paid tribute to the victims of the accident in Novi Sad in front of the Radio Television of Serbia (RTS) building, where 15 people died on November 1 and two were seriously injured when the railway station canopy collapsed, and then their demands were read out.

With the lights on their mobile phones on, they paid tribute to the victims of the accident in silence for 15 minutes, a Beta agency reporter reported.

Among the numerous banners were "Regime Television of Serbia", "You will also fly on the hood", "Serbia is burning and RTS is combing", "RTS -SNS"....

Since the beginning of the blockade of the faculty, students have been demanding political and criminal responsibility for the accident in Novi Sad, as well as the prosecution of all those who attacked academics and citizens during the gathering.

The number of people in Takovska and the surrounding streets is enormous, and mobile phone signals are weak and interrupted, a Beta agency reporter reported.

In addition to Takovska Street, parts of Kneza Miloša Street were also closed to traffic, in front of the Serbian Parliament, as well as part of Bulevar kralja Aleksandra, where two police vehicles were parked near the Church of St. Mark.

Students in front of the RTS building in downtown Belgrade, from the protest, had earlier called on the Public Service to let them "live on the program" and for the management and journalists to come outside.

The crowd chanted "You won't trample us", "Get out" and "Let us live", and by whistling and making noise they expressed their dissatisfaction with the work of the television station, which is paid for by all citizens of Serbia.

Near the Children's Cultural Center, right next to the building of the television station on Takovska Street, a large banner was spread out that read "You won't trample us".

Takovska Street, where the RTS building is located, was completely filled with protesters who filled the entire space in front of its entrance.

The protest is being held under the slogan "Our right to know everything", and several thousand students and citizens carrying student and Serbian flags gathered in front of the RTS building.

There are also banners that read "Build prisons, you can't all stop", "It's not Serbian to be silent", "There are people and non-people. Students are people, and you?".

There is a large banner that reads "Your right to know everything?", while the crowd, from the drum line, shouts "Alarm, general strike".

For now, there is no noticeable police presence on the streets, but there is a large student security presence, a Beta agency reporter reported.

Traffic has been stopped in front of RTS, where there is a truck with a loudspeaker, and the crowd is making noise by blowing vuvuzelas and whistles. The students are expressing their dissatisfaction with the work of the Public Service Broadcaster, which is paid for by all citizens, by whistling and chanting.

The crowd is carrying banners demanding responsibility for the accident in Novi Sad, where 15 people died on November 1 and two were seriously injured.

They were heading to Takovska Street, where the RTS headquarters is located, from different directions, depending on where their faculties are located, chanting "Let's go on the program" and "Play us live".

Traffic was stopped on Bulevar Kralja Aleksandra during the arrival of student columns, which were also joined by citizens, a Beta agency reporter reported.

RTS reported live from the student protest

This evening, in its central news program, Radio Television of Serbia (RTS) reported live from the student protest in Takovska Street, where it is headquartered, after the first news about the injured girl's health condition.

An RTS reporter joined the Second Daily to report directly from the protest, the Belgrade newspaper Danas reported.

He explained that students were protesting in front of RTS, dissatisfied with the reporting from the Public Service, and one citizen from the protest was also included in the program.

A banner was unfurled from the RTS building, "RTS workers are with students," and the crowd responded by chanting "Thank you for your support," the Danas newspaper website reports.

After that, RTS workers began to chant "General strike" along with students and citizens.