Pumpen und Protestieren

On November 1, 2024, a station canopy in Novi Sad, Serbia, collapsed due to a massive construction error - costing the lives of 16 innocent people.

Since then, there has been an incessant wave of student-led protests against the government in Serbia. This wave is sweeping large parts of the divided country along with it. The protesters are demanding that those responsible for the disaster in Novi Sad be prosecuted and that the many cases of corruption attributed to President Aleksandar Vučić's government be uncovered and brought to an end.

Vučić's response to the protests: deployment of police, sometimes with excessive force, arrests, intimidation of students and teachers, as well as the closure of many important cultural and educational institutions. All of this is on the agenda.

Nevertheless, the protesters are not giving up. They continue to fight for justice and a better future for their country under their slogan "Pumpaj!" (German: Pumpe!/ in the sense of: Keep going!). The bicycle pump became a symbol of peaceful but determined resistance.

This evening, the authors Demjan Duran and Denijen Pauljević will attempt to put this movement into words, to depict the diversity of different personal perspectives. They will read texts that they have written especially for this evening.

This will be followed by a discussion, moderated by Iris Špringer from balkaNet e.V. Tijana Grumić will talk about her experiences in Serbia. She is currently one of Serbia's most successful writers and dramaturges and is also a lecturer at the FDU (Academy of Dramatic Arts) in Belgrade. This is where the student protests began.

This event is part of the performance Together or Separated? by God's Entertainment, invited by Spielart Festival, which will take place in front of the Habibi Kiosk. More info HERE.