Protest against Province’s Ombudsman for Staying Silent on Students Being Attacked

Student protest in Novi Sad (BETAPHOTO/DRAGAN GOJIC)

A protest rally was held in front of the office of the Provincial Ombudsman in Novi Sad on Jan. 29, on the initiative of the Free University informal academic network, consisting of professors of the University in Novi Sad, because of the ombudsman’s silence in the case of attacks on students.

Several dozen university professors, citizens and students participated in the protest and were joined by the employees of the institution of the Ombudsman. Professor of the Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad Ivana Mihic stated that the institution of the Provincial Ombudsman had been silent about the attacks on students and pupils.

“High-school and university blockades are not just civic disobedience, but an attempt by the children and young people to express their opinions and participate in social events, to demand respect for human rights and the institutions to function,” she stated.

Professor of the Faculty of Philosophy Jovana Skoric read a letter by the former provincial ombudsman, Petar Teofilovic, who wrote that the institution that is supposed to protect human rights was supporting their violation. 15 minutes of silence was observed at the start of the rally in memory of the victims of the Railway Station tragedy. The protesters carried a large banner reading “Novi Sad Free University” and others reading “A Diamond is Created Under Pressure” and “We Are Not Living Under a Rock.”