Riding for justice The Serbian students arrived at the heart of the EU

About 80 Serbian students arrived on Tuesday night in the center of the European Union having traveled 1,300 kilometers with their bikes.

Their trip to Strasbourg, France, lasted 13 days.

Their purpose is to take Europe’s gaze in their long -term demonstrations against corruption in their home country.

The students received a moving reception from hundreds of people, including members of the Serbian diaspora, as well as French students and supporters, reaching the main square of Strasbourg, where the European Parliament meets.

‘I think we woke up Europe’

« I think this protest is completely successful, » said one of the cyclists in a live broadcast of the N1 television station from Strasbourg, where people had gathered.

« I think we woke up to Europe, » he added.

Serbian students are the main lever of a corruption movement in the country, which includes almost daily mass demonstrations on the streets.

Although they have gained huge support both domestically and throughout the Balkans, many students feel that they have not received sufficient support from the European Union.

Students crossed 100-150 kilometers daily by bike, passing through Hungary, Slovakia, Austria and Germany, before reaching Strasbourg.

During their journey to Europe, they faced heavy rains and freezing, but in many cities – such as Budapest, Vienna and German villages – they waited for a heroic reception by supporters.

In Strasbourg they plan to visit the Council of Europe and the European Parliament.

Ulazak Studenata biciklista na trg u strazburu gde ih čeka okupljena srpska dijaspora, SA srpskim zastavama i pesmama. #studentiublokadi #Strazbur #Strasbourg #Strassburg pic.twitter.com/CMV7DMBX86

– Svetli Vojvoda Crni đorđije (@Dordestojkovic) April 15, 2025

Serbian Students biked all the way to Strasbourg. Mission One Accomplished – Now it’s Time to Hand Over the Petition to EU Reps. #Serbia #Strasbourg #Eu #Europe #Breakingnews pic.twitter.com/m6rob9rxlq

– Ali Shunnaq (@schunnaq) April 15, 2025

Demonstrations organized by students in Serbia broke out after the deaths of 16 people in a housing collapse at Novi Sad Railway Station in November, which was widely attributed to generalized corruption.

Since then, protests have expressed deeper dissatisfaction with the state of democratic freedoms in Serbia.

President Aleksandar Vucic and pro -government media have accused students and teachers of conspiring against the state to overthrow him. However, he has not provided any evidence of his allegations.

The European Union’s reaction to the primary peaceful, student demonstrations was lukewarm, while European officials avoided criticizing Vucic. It seems to be considered a crucial factor in maintaining stability in an area that suffered from catastrophic wars in the 1990s.

From his rise to power more than a decade ago, Vucic has been accused of stifling democratic freedoms while maintaining close relations with Russia and China.