With this exhibition, the City Library marked the 40th anniversary of the Student Demonstrations, which swept Europe and the entire world and thus became a planetary phenomenon. These events still arouse the interest of historians, sociologists, philosophers, and artists. Living in different social systems, capitalism and socialism, young people in the late sixties in all parts of the world, from America and Japan, through France, Germany, Poland, Austria, to Yugoslavia, rebelled against the existing systems, demanding more freedom, equality, and justice. In our country, socialist self-management failed their hopes. The “June Turmoil” did not bring significant changes. Still, it did not forever disappoint young people’s hopes for a better and more impartial world.

The exhibition “Student Protest in 1968” was organized by the Belgrade City Library as a multimedia project. In addition to photos and documents that will remind us of the events of 1968 (the first protests in the Student City, confrontation with the police forces near Podvožnjak, student gatherings at the faculties, debates and meetings in the yard of the Captain Miša’s Mansion, minutes and shorthand notes from the 41st session of the Executive Committee of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia), banned issues of the newspapers and magazines “Student”, “Vidici”, “Delo”, as well as original student proclamations, newsletters and resolutions were also exhibited. It was an opportunity to remember the art of that era: literature, art exhibitions, panels, films, theatre performances, etc.

The material for the exhibition was found in the photo documentation of Tanjug, Borba, as well as the personal documentation of Stevan Kragujević.

“Fellow workers, let us tell you: We are not fighting for our narrow material interests. We are outraged by the social and economic differences in our society. We are for social self-management from the bottom to the top. We oppose any enrichment of individuals at the expense of the workers’ class. We are for social property and against attempts to establish shareholder-capitalist companies.

It hurts us that thousands of our people have to go to serve and work for the world capital. We want to build our socialist society with our knowledge, enthusiasm and love. We will not allow bureaucratic interests to break the brotherhood and unity of our nations.

Fellow workers, we do not take opposite positions to yours. Your interests are our interests. It is the further construction of socialism.

We don’t have any special program!

Our program is the program of the most progressive forces of our society – the program of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia and the Constitution!

We demand their worthy implementation!

Long live the solidarity of workers and students!

Action Board of the Technical Faculty, approved by the University Board.”

(Text from one of the exhibition panels)