site.btaAfter Bicycling to Strasbourg, Serbian Students Run from Novi Sad to Brussels

After completing their bike ride to Strasbourg on April 15, a group of Serbian students set off on Friday to run the distance from Novi Sad to Brussels within 18 days.

“No one’s tired! We’re running to Brussels!” is the slogan of the students, who plan to run the 1,700 km to the seat of the European Commission.

The aim of this new action by the protesting students is to draw the attention of the European public to the situation in Serbia.

The tragedy in Novi Sad on November 1, 2024 triggered a wave of protests across the country, led mainly by students. One of the key demands of the protesters is the full disclosure of the documentation related to the reconstruction of the local railway station building. A month later, the Serbian government and president announced that the documentation had been published and made publicly available, but under pressure from the protests, new documents kept emerging. Students are also demanding sanctions against the attackers of protesters involved in dozens of incidents, as well as an end to criminal proceedings against detained protesters.

Among the runners who set off for Brussels is 18-year-old Maja Strunic, a student from the First Belgrade Gymnasium, which has been under blockade since the end of 2024 when high school students joined the blockades across Serbia.

Before departing for Brussels, Maja visited the BTA Press Club with her classmate Nikola Matic, who will be providing logistical support during the marathon.

The group of 60 runners and their backups will run in shifts and expect members of the Serbian diaspora living in Central European countries to join them along the way.

Maya also shared with BTA that the group plans to meet with representatives of European institutions, but those meetings are still being kept under wraps.