Protesters are demanding the resignation of the Serbian leader and mayor of the city of Novi Sad over the fatal accident that killed 15 people.
Tens of thousands of Serbs have gathered in the capital Belgrade to protest against President Aleksandar Vucic and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), which they blame for the collapse of a train station roof last month that killed 15 people.
The rally, one of the largest in recent years, was called on Sunday by university students and farmers’ unions and took place in Slavija Square in Belgrade.
It began with 15 minutes of silence as a tribute to as many people killed after the concrete roof of the newly renovated Novi Sad train station roof collapsed on November 1st.
Fourteen people aged between six and 74 were killed that day and a 15th victim died in hospital weeks later.
Prosecutors have arrested 13 people in connection with the incident, including a minister whose release later led to public skepticism about the honesty of the investigation.
Opposition leaders and the public repeatedly took to the streets and blamed the accident on shoddy construction work caused by corruption and nepotism in the government. The ruling coalition denies these allegations and Vucic said those responsible must be held accountable.
Protesters turned on the lights of their cellphones Sunday evening and shouted “Vucic, thief!” Others held up banners reading “We are all under the canopy” and “You have blood on your hands.”
“We came here to say ‘stop’ to everything that has happened since 2012 (when Vucic’s party took power),” said Aleksa, 30, an IT professional from Novi Sad. “We want to see an end to corruption and nepotism.”
Many are calling for the resignation of the Serbian head of state and the mayor of Novi Sad and for those responsible to be prosecuted. They are also calling for trials against protesters to be stopped and those who attacked the protesters to be prosecuted.
Serbia’s popular theater and film actors joined the protest. Actor Bane Trifunovic described Sunday’s rally as “a celebration of freedom.”
Smaller rallies also took place in the cities of Niš and Kragujevac.
To calm the protests, the authorities have promised various subsidies for young people in recent weeks. Students – and other citizens who support them – continued to protest, saying their demands had only been partially met.
Despite the ongoing demonstrations, Vucic inaugurated a section of a newly built highway in central Serbia on Sunday.
Vucic said he would not give in to opposition demands for an interim government and accused his opponents of using students to try to seize power.
“We will beat them again,” he said. “They (the opposition) don’t know what to do but take advantage of someone’s children.”
The weeks of protests came amid widespread dissatisfaction with Vucic’s rule. He had said he wanted to admit Serbia into the European Union, but faced accusations of restricting rather than promoting democratic freedoms.
