A grassroots protest movement sparked by student outrage over a deadly railway station collapse has achieved a stunning political breakthrough, defying repression and forcing a reckoning with the country’s leadership. Beginning with bicycle rides across Europe to draw international attention, the campaign evolved into sustained demonstrations that faced violent police crackdowns and accusations of treason from authorities. Despite being dismissed as troublemakers, the protesters’ persistence has reshaped public discourse and delivered an unexpected electoral victory. Their success now raises urgent questions about the future of the movement and the broader political shifts it has set in motion.
A movement that began in outrage has delivered remarkable election upset, showing that change is possible and prompting questions over what comes next• Don’t get This Is Europe delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereIn April of last year, dozens of students set off from Serbia, intent on making it to Strasbourg, France on bicycles. The aim of the arduous, 13-day transcontinental journey was simple: to make their voices heard in Europe and beyond.In their home city of Novi Sad, students had been holding near-daily protests after a deadly roof collapse at the city’s main railway station. As their push for accountability and justice spread across the country, it was met with baton-wielding police, teargas and a political class that branded these young people as traitors. Continue reading...
