WORLD NEWS FOR MONTENEGRO DIASPORA
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AUTHOR:M.J. GDNUS
The raising of the “Free University” flag on the Rectorate building and the demand for the dismissal of the Rector of the University of Novi Sad, Dejan Madić, ended the protest of several thousand citizens. As it was said, he does not have the integrity to lead the university. The gathered gave Madić the lowest grade (5) in academic integrity and he did not pass that exam. Several thousand teachers, associates, researchers and citizens sent a message today – “We will not give up the students. The professors are with you”. After the protest walk “4000 Teachers, 4000 Steps” from the Academy of Arts, they came to the campus and to the Rectorate. It is estimated that this is the largest protest of students and professors in history.
The professors prepared a large index for Rector Madić and graded him on the academic integrity exam. He had pre-exam obligations. He received zero points for integrity and support for students, and the maximum 10 points for closeness to the tabloids. The index did not include a grade for his next trip. As announced at the event, Rector Madić will visit Thailand with his wife in early February, and the plane tickets for both were paid for by the University of Novi Sad.
"He obviously received a zero for the oral exam - the call to resign, which we invited him to some time ago. Which in total means that the Rector of the University of Novi Sad, Professor Dr. Dejan Madić, deserved a grade of 5 and failed the exam in academic integrity," said Professor Mina Đikanović from the Faculty of Philosophy.
Ljubica Oparnica, a professor at the Faculty of Pedagogy in Sombor, said that it is the duty of professors to stand by their students.
"We stand and will stand by our students until all their demands are met. I am proud and fascinated by the way students are fighting their fight. With a struggle based on the principles of equality, solidarity and perseverance, students have been showing us for two months how to demand and not give in," she emphasized.
Oparnica reiterated that the rector has no integrity and should resign.
"He supports those who attack students, the violence of the Black Hoods, and he himself brought them to the university. He and his followers do not want the students' demands to be met, because that way they will lose their privileges, which is why they are called," said Ljubica Oparnica.
"What kind of teachers are these whose students the BIA calls for interviews, the tabloids crucify, and they remain silent? Or they declare themselves declaratively, so that you can barely hear them, and they are often the generators of problems themselves. As a professor at the University of Novi Sad, and I am sure that the professors of the 'Slobodan univerzitet' network agree, I find it unacceptable that such colleagues are at the head of our university and our faculties - and that is why I call on these colleagues to resign. I call on the rector, deans and all heads of departments, departments and chairs who are silent about crime and violence, thus approving crime and corruption in society, to resign! They are not worthy representatives of our collective and their resignation is their chance to do something honorable”, she added.
Novi Sad with educational workers
The gathering of teachers, associates and researchers from Novi Sad faculties began at 11:30 in front of the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad on Đure Jakšića Street. Several hundred citizens, professors and students set off from the Faculty of Medicine towards the Academy, but remained stuck at the “Novi Sad Theatre”.
Professor at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad Vladan Joler read a poem he wrote for professors and called on them to go on strike.
At the beginning of the gathering, he said that the winter break was over and that hiding behind students, procedures and hierarchies was over. As he said, signing petitions, the comfort of inaction, selfishness and calculation were over. It's over, says Joler, with fear and theory - it's time for practice.
It's time, Joler said, to "actually, really stand with the students, it's time to defend the autonomy of the university, it's time for new unions, to take over the old unions if they're bad.
"It's time for disobedience, it's time for a strike, it's time to take responsibility and demand responsibility. It's time for action, it's time for change, it's time for a new time," Joler said.
Jelena Stanković, a student at the Academy of Arts, said that on behalf of the students, she congratulated the professors for voting for a protest suspension of classes and submitting an initiative to replace the rector.
"We are proud to be your students," she said.
Professor Dragan Matić said that everyone knows why they are protesting today.
"When a general strike is mentioned in the state's discourse, it's a sign that something is rotten in the state, and that country is not Denmark. In that country, they call students Ustasha, foreign mercenaries. They claim that support for students is drastically decreasing, so this is a mirage that I see. Let's look around, they make us not believe our ears and eyes. In that country, they claim that professors want bread and cakes and that their salary is 520,000 dinars and that they are not satisfied. How lucky that is. In that country, kabadahs and criminals are ready to attack students, trample them and pull knives on them, just because they are looking for justice.
5,000 of us workers have signed a statement of support for the students, we are here in person to show that we are one fabric. Solidarity until the demands are met,” said Matić.
He noted that almost 5,000 university workers have signed their names and surnames in support of the students’ demands, to show that they are one fabric.
“Solidarity until the demands are met. Or what would our students say – when if not now. Period,” said Matić.
The protesters are carrying banners that read: “Everything must stop,” “General strike,” “You promised life, you brought death,” “Students are our light in the dark,” “The rule of law must be maintained,” “Professors with students,” “A new free university now,” “Professors take the exam in front of the students.”
At exactly 11:52, everyone fell silent for 15 minutes and paid tribute to those killed at the Railway Station.
Due to the huge number of people who filled Đure Jakšića and Nikolajevska streets, Jovana Subotića Street was blocked.
The column of several hundred professors, students and citizens, who had started from the Faculty of Medicine towards the Academy of Arts, therefore remained at the Novi Sad Theater. At the head of the column was the banner "Everyone on strike". Along the way, they made noise and shouted "Everyone on strike", "General strike", "Education on strike", "You will not trample us".
Citizens joined them along the way. In Jovana Subotića Street, there were teachers who were also unable to approach the academy. They carried a large banner "Teachers are with you".
