Student List Walking Columns to Slavija Start Oct. 16

The Student List has published routes and departure dates for the walking columns that are due to reach Belgrade for the final pre-election rally, scheduled for October 22 at Slavija. The eastern column leaves Zajecar on October 16, and sign-up for it closes tomorrow, October 14. According to media reports, the announcements were posted on the student movement’s social media accounts.

Where does the Zajecar column go?

Walkers from eastern Serbia set out on a six-day march. The route runs through Bor, Zagubica, Petrovac, Pozarevac and Smederevo, and on the sixth day the column is due to enter Belgrade. There is one day left to sign up, since the deadline is October 14.

Three columns from the west

The western side has three separate branches, each with its own start date:

• the first column leaves on October 18 from Gornji Milanovac, via Ljig, Lazarevac and Obrenovac
• the second column leaves on October 19 from Valjevo, also via Lazarevac and Obrenovac
• the third column leaves on October 19 from Sabac, via Banjani near Ub and Obrenovac

All three branches pass through Obrenovac. Both students and citizens can sign up, until midnight on October 15. The post about the western columns was also shared by the account of students at the School of Electrical Engineering in Belgrade (@etfublokadi).

How many columns are there, three or four?

Outlets have not counted the same way. N1 and Vreme write about three columns, but they mean only western Serbia. Today “three columns” refers to three directions: east, west and north, and the west alone has three branches. Adding up everything published so far gives four known routes, one from the east and three from the west, while neither a route nor a date has been published for the north.

The northern walk has been announced, but details are missing, so it is unknown when it could start or how long it would take to reach the capital.

From Nis to Slavija

The rally at Slavija is not new: the Student List announced earlier that it would close the campaign there, and Nis was one of the previous pre-election rallies. What is new is that it is now known how people will get to Belgrade on foot, who leaves on which day and by when they need to sign up.

The first deadline falls tomorrow for the eastern column. The western deadline comes a day later, at midnight on October 15. The date and route of the northern column will be known only once the organizers publish them.