A general strike is being held across Serbia on Friday, as Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced the establishment of a "movement for the people and the state."
Citizens have been invited to hold a general strike by students, who have been blocking faculties for more than two months, demanding criminal and political responsibility for the deaths of 15 people from the collapse of a shelter at the Novi Sad Railway Station on November 1.
During the protests, media reported that a girl was injured when a car hit a group of students and citizens in Novi Beograd. She was taken to an emergency center for medical treatment.
The Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that the driver who hit the girl with her car during the protest has been arrested.
Subsequently, by order of the prosecutor, MS, 25, was taken into custody for 48 hours due to suspicions that she committed the crime of "attempted aggravated murder."
A general strike or "general civil disobedience," as students call it, means a complete cessation of work and any other daily activity, such as going to shops or restaurants, cinemas, theaters, and more.
The students have suggested to employees who fear their employers' reaction, "to take days off, take sick leave or donate blood."
More than 200 companies have previously confirmed they will suspend operations in solidarity with the students, writes Radio Free Europe.
Support for the students has been offered by numerous public figures, actors, singers, athletes, media workers, as well as individuals from other professions, such as lawyers, judges, prosecutors, doctors, educators, as well as opposition politicians in Serbia.
On the same day that the general strike is taking place, Serbian President Vučić announced the establishment of the "movement for the people and the state" during a rally in Jagodina - a city in central Serbia.
"You are all welcome in the movement, in the movement for great changes," Vučić said.
According to him, the reason for forming this movement is that there are things he is not satisfied with.
He said that everyone can join this movement, regardless of party affiliation.
The rally in Jagodina was attended by thousands of supporters of the ruling party, the Serbian Progressive Party, and its coalition partners.
Authorities in Serbia claim that foreign intelligence services are involved in organizing the student protests and that there are "foreign mercenaries" among the students.
According to them, this is proven by the fact that the student blockades do not stop, even though their demands have been met - which is rejected by the students.
Even during his address in Jagodina, Vučić claimed, without providing evidence, that Serbia is being attacked "from outside and within."
The students' demands for an end to the blockades include the publication of full documentation for the reconstruction of the Novi Sad Railway Station, to determine responsibility for the accident of November 1, 2024.
They also demand that the attackers of demonstrators across Serbia, during the protests that followed the accident, be identified and face criminal responsibility.
The demands also include the release of activists arrested during the protests, the suspension of criminal proceedings against them, and an increase in the budget for universities.
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