EXIT fully with students from the beginning

There is only one truth: EXIT has publicly supported the students from the beginning of the protests in multiple ways, despite pressures that such an unequivocal stance could lead to the festival’s shutdown due to the loss of government support and, consequently, the disappearance of over a hundred jobs for people engaged in EXIT throughout the year.

Unfortunately, the motives of those who launched attacks on EXIT have nothing to do with students and their demands. These attacks are a personal vendetta against the festival, which was directly announced to us long before the tragedy on November 1st. In reality, they represent a manipulation of student energy and a distraction from their demands.

But let’s go step by step.

EXIT first made a public statement on November 4th regarding the tragedy that struck our city, calling for the resignation of the responsible minister and full accountability for the collapse of the canopy – a demand that would later become one of the key demands of the students. A large majority of EXIT’s team members have participated in marches and other gatherings from the very beginning, and, unlike in many other companies and organizations, they have always had full freedom to share their participation with the world. After the faculty blockades began, EXIT provided support not only through food, sleeping bags, and other necessities but also repeatedly expressed its support for the students on Instagram and the festival’s website, while at the same time condemning violence against them and other citizens. The EXIT team also participated in last Friday’s general strike, standing at Slavija, Autokomanda, and on the Boulevard in Novi Sad yesterday. There are hundreds of thousands of witnesses to all this – followers of EXIT’s pages.

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“While some public figures received applause for posting a single Instagram story and while almost all other music events in Serbia remained silent on the protests and were not even mentioned by critics, EXIT was harshly attacked despite doing significantly more. By saying this, I do not intend to point fingers at others in the music industry. As someone whose first activism was initiating the 1996 student march from Novi Sad to Belgrade for the ideals of freedom in our society, I strongly believe in the right of every individual or organization to have their own opinion, without fear of being insulted or labeled for it. That is one of the fundamental principles of a free society – anything else leads us down the path to a new totalitarianism. I bring this up as yet another piece of evidence that reveals the true motives of those behind the attacks on EXIT.

I encourage students to preserve the purity of their cause and fight for their dreams, without allowing any organization or individual to exploit them for personal gain. And as they live through one of the most significant moments of their lives, I hope they channel their energy into projects that will continue to transform our society for the better in the decades to come. We are here for them.”

Dušan Kovačević, Founder & CEO of EXIT Festival Group

The students leading the protests have made numerous public statements and joint appearances with the EXIT Festival, including both online initiatives and live events.

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The latest, and for now last, edition of the festival at Petrovaradin Fortress was fully dedicated to the student protests. This included the Opening and Closing Ceremonies with students on stage, Gala performing the protest hymn, a special FREE STUDENTS stage, as well as numerous exhibitions across the festival site.

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After the festival, the organisers continued to speak publicly about the situation in Serbia, including through a speech in the European Parliament. Most recently, while receiving YOUROPE’s Promoter of the Year Award, EXIT dedicated the award to the students and youth of Serbia.