Serbian Bicycle Protests Reach Vienna: Cycling for Democracy and Justice

The Serbian students protesting against the Serbian government with a bike tour to Strasbourg are expected in Vienna today, Monday. Representatives of the Serbian diaspora want to give the group an enthusiastic welcome at Maria-Theresien-Platz in the late afternoon, similar to the one on Saturday in Budapest, where the cyclists were cheered by hundreds of people at the Heroes' Square there.

"So far, everything is going according to plan. The only problem was that we didn't have a police escort in Hungary, but that didn't bother us," a spokeswoman for the group told APA on Monday afternoon from Bratislava. The group had made a stopover in the Slovak capital in the early afternoon, where they were welcomed by the local Serbian community. From there, about 70 kilometers remained to be covered to Vienna. The several dozen cyclists had started in the morning in the Hungarian city of Györ.

"Idemo v Beeeeeč (We are going to Wiiiiieeen)," cheered one of the cyclists named Marko in a video published on Instagram, which was likely recorded during a stopover in Hungary. According to the activists of "Blokada Beč," the cyclists are literally to be given the red carpet treatment on the square between the Kunsthistorisches and Naturhistorisches Museum. Participants were urged not to use pyrotechnic devices or fire. "Allowed items at the reception are whistles, banners, flags, and lamps," it said in an Instagram post. The arrival of the cyclists is expected around 7:30 PM, two hours later than originally planned.

1,000 People Expected at Rally, Vienna Police on Site

The organizers expect 1,000 people at the rally, a spokeswoman for the Vienna police told APA upon request. The police will be deployed with sufficient forces to ensure a regulated event process as well as peace and order. Measures for traffic regulation would also be taken if necessary. The organizers had informed the police of the planned route of the cyclists.

From Protest in Novi Sad to Strasbourg

The group started on Monday morning in the Hungarian city of Györ and planned to make a stop in the Slovak capital Bratislava in the early afternoon before arriving in Vienna at 5:30 PM. The group, consisting of 80 students from all state universities in Serbia, set off on Thursday in Novi Sad to draw attention to the political crisis in the largest country of the Western Balkans at the European institutions in Strasbourg - the Council of Europe and the European Parliament.

"Our streets, once places of hope and encounters, have become scenes of fear and injustice. Our friends and colleagues are being arrested for speaking the truth, institutions have become tools of repression," students shared on their internet portal, where their bike tour can be followed live.

"Cycle Race for Justice" with Four Stops in Austria

The cyclists aim to arrive in Strasbourg next Tuesday. The "Cycle Race for Justice" takes place in 13 daily stages, each around 100 kilometers. The tour will pass through Austria until Friday morning, with overnight stays planned in Vienna, Emmersdorf, Linz, and Salzburg.

In Budapest, the cyclists expressed positive feedback about the tour's progress so far. They are traveling faster than the planned average speed of 20 km/h, said one of the students named Matija, according to the newspaper "Vreme". "Personally, I'm doing really great. I have no pain, especially not in my legs," he said. He joined the group rather spontaneously and had to borrow a bike to participate in the tour.

According to the tour plan, the cyclists are covering 144 kilometers today, Monday, between Györ and Vienna, which is the longest daily stage. On Tuesday, only 88 kilometers are on the schedule, with the stage destination in Emmersdorf near Melk. On Wednesday, it's 100 kilometers to Linz, and on Thursday, 128 kilometers to Salzburg.

Did Corruption Cause the Collapse of the Novi Sad Station Canopy?

The protests were triggered by the collapse of the station canopy in Novi Sad on November 1, which resulted in the deaths of 16 people. Charges were filed against 13 responsible individuals as early as November, but the judiciary has not yet confirmed them. Two ministers have resigned due to the accident, which was presumably caused by corruption. The protest movement reached its peak in mid-March with a mass rally in Belgrade, which ended abruptly. Participants then accused the authorities of using a banned sound cannon.

The cycling tour can be followed live here.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.