Radical cyclists: Serbian students protest in Vienna with light!

Radical cyclists: Serbian students protest in Vienna with light!

A bike tour of Serbian students through Europe is currently causing a sensation. The 80-person group committed itself to the political grievances in Serbia and made its way to Strasbourg last week from Novi Sad. The aim of the protest movement is to draw attention to the political crisis in Serbia for the Council of Europe and the European Parliament.

The initiative was triggered by the tragic incident on November 1, when the canopy of a train station collapsed in Novi Sad and 16 people cost the lives. The charges against around 13 managers have already been raised, but the legal confirmation is still pending. The incident even led to the resignation of two government members, which further fueled the protests.

reception in Vienna

In Vienna, the protesting students were received by around 1,000 sympathizers on Monday evening. The event took place on Maria-Theresien-Platz, where the activists were symbolically rolled out a red carpet. The Viennese police secured the event with an extensive use of forces to ensure a peaceful atmosphere.

The participants were guided through social media which objects they can bring in the demonstration, including whistling, transparent and flags. Pyrotechnic objects, on the other hand, were prohibited. According to their internet platform, the streets in Serbia have developed into locations of fear and injustice. This message underpins the urgent need for a political change.

protest trip to Strasbourg

The students plan to arrive in Strasbourg next Tuesday. Your protest trip is divided into a total of 13 daily stages, covering about 100 kilometers a day. The activists will stay in Austria until Friday morning and will spend the night in cities such as Vienna, Emmersdorf, Linz and Salzburg.

This protest movement is in the context of increasing distrust among the European population. A recently carried out population survey in six European countries shows that many people are concerned about the quality of democracy. A central point is the widespread lack of trust in national and European politics, which negatively affects the willingness to participate. This dynamic means that anti -democratic parties try to exploit protest movements for their own agendas.

In Germany, for example, the AfD has taken up the Pegida movement's demands in order to advance its own agenda. In view of these developments, it becomes clear that protesting citizens not only react to grievances, but also in the complex interaction with politics, which can influence their demands and actions. Volkswagen Foundation On these topics is one of the many examples that examines the influence of protest movements on democracies in Europe.