Protest Dubbed Student Edict Held in Nis

Gathering in Nis, March 1 2025 (BETAPHOTO/Saša Đorđević)

A student and civil protest called Student Edict took place in Nis on March 1, ending after midnight after 15 minutes of silence were observed at the central square in Nis at 11:52 p.m. in honor of the 15 people who died after a concrete overhang collapsed on them at the Novi Sad railway station.

Large numbers of university students and other citizens from all parts of Serbia stayed for the closing portion of the protest, while the day saw tens of thousands attend. Nis University students presented the Student Edict that gave the protest its name in the downtown square, describing it as a symbolic document that represented "a covenant for the future and the state" that they wanted to live in.

The Edict consists of eight points on freedom, the state, justice, youth, dignity, knowledge, solidarity and the future and represents a student Constitution of sorts. The students' message in Nis was that their desire for rule of law and a country that they could stay in and make better had grown even stronger.

The well-organized protest passed without incident. All protesters had access to free food and beverages throughout the day and evening at stands set up in the streets around the square by Nis residents and their guests. Drinking water from tank trucks and a medical aid area were also provided to the protesters