'We have to change because we can't give more of our lives' - Serbian student protest in Subotica

As their protests over the deadly Novi Sad train station disaster continue, the university students have found surprising allies.

Motorcyclists, tractor farmers and war veterans provided security for a day-long demonstration organised by students in Subotica, Serbia. The city of more than 90,000 inhabitants in northern Serbia with a significant Hungarian minority, has several universities whose students have staged blockades since December following the deadly awning collapse at Novi Sad station. They still believe those responsible have not been prosecuted.A large number of demonstrators were expected to arrive in the city from the surrounding rural villages and from Novi Sad, some of whom arrived by bicycle or on foot. As demonstrators had previously been attacked by Aleksandar Vucic's supporters in Belgrade and Novi Sad, the rally in Subotica began under heavy security. Police diverted traffic from most of the roads leading into the city centre, and the roads into the city centre used by protesters were completely blocked by farmers sympathetic to the protests with tractors, while war veterans patrolled the demonstration sites from the afternoon.Although we only managed to speak to one of the veterans, who told us that they were not demonstrating but were there to "protect the children", others told Euronews that these people, who were typically wounded in the southern Slavic wars, are being paid humiliatingly low wages by the state and therefore resent Aleksandar Vučić's regime.Since the area around Subotica is agricultural, most of the farmers have also come to protect their own children attending local universities, but we also met a liberal arts student who had driven into town on a tractor borrowed from his parents' farm.'It's good to see the energy'"This country has been going downhill for thirty years," a middle-aged Hungarian woman who works in a post office in a Vojvodina village told Euronews. "They have taken away the best thirty years of our lives, eighty percent of our children have left the country. We have to make a change here, because we can't give any more of our lives."A woman in her thirties told Euronews that she believes corruption is the biggest problem that is keeping the country from moving forward, and she, like most people, blames Aleksandar Vučić. She herself has not lived in the country for ten years and was surprised by the dynamics of the current protests, which she cites as her reason to come home. "It's so good to see the energy people have shown! It's amazing to see them going from town to town and rallying different sections of society."The students who were able to talk to us were very disciplined in their comments about wanting to see meaningful consequences for the tragedy in Novi Sad and the release of those imprisoned for protesting - but not the overthrow of the government. By contrast, Novi Sad Mayor Milan Durić has said from the start that the real aim of the demonstrations is to get Vučić to resign, and most protesters agree with this - except the organisers. "We want to rethink the system. We aren't politicians, we have no political goals. We want to live in a better system that is not so corrupt, so we just want a better future."16 minutes of silenceThe day-long protest included children's activities, a cartoon exhibition, food distribution, a concert and even fireworks. The strongest part of the demonstration was the now customary 16 minutes of silence in memory of the 16 killed in Novi Sad, which was particularly powerful in light of the noise they made before and after with their whistles and plastic fanfares reminiscent of South African vuvuzelas.