**Teachers and Students Protest New Education Minister’s Appointment**
A crowd of school teachers, students, and pre-school staff gathered in front of the Education Ministry building on Tuesday to protest the appointment of Dejan Vuk Stankovic as the new Education Minister. The protesters held banners expressing their sentiments about the authorities and the new minister, with some reading “offensive”, “manipulation”, and “repression”.
The prevailing view among opposition politicians is that Stankovic’s appointment is a way to punish the student protesters and striking teachers who have been demanding better working conditions and education reforms. Stankovic, an associate professor at the Belgrade University school for teachers and educators, is known as a pro-regime political analyst.
Despite the protest, participants said they would not prevent the new minister from entering the building on his first day at work. The crowd blocked traffic in front of the ministry building and made noise to show their opposition. They also observed 16 minutes of silence at 11:52.
**A Message from the Government?**
According to University School of Political Sciences Professor Dejan Pavlovic, the appointment of Stankovic sends a clear message from the government. “This is some kind of call for a dialogue and here we are to tell him what we have to say,” he said. The protest was joined by students and pre-school staff, showing that the concerns of teachers and students are not isolated.
**A Stand against Repression?**
The banners raised by protesters highlighted their values of integrity, honor, conscience, and competence. This stand against repression and manipulation is a clear message to the government that they will not back down in the face of authoritarianism. As the protest continues, it remains to be seen how the government will respond to these demands.
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