Tens of thousands flocked to a central square Serbia capital on Sunday for a large rally against Populist President Aleksandar Vucic and his government, whose strict grip on power has been called into question by weeks of street protests led by university students.
Students and farmers’ unions called for the rally on Belgrade’s Slavija Square, one of the largest in recent years. It was part of a larger movement demanding accountability for November 1st Collapse of a canopy at a train station in the north of the country, in which 15 people died.
Smaller rallies also took place in the cities of Niš and Kragujevac. The rally in Belgrade began with a 15-minute silence for the victims and later chants of “You have blood on your hands!” were heard.
Many in Serbia blame the collapse widespread corruption and shoddy work on the train station building in the city of Novi Sad, which has been renovated twice in recent years as part of questionable megaprojects involving Chinese state-owned companies. The demonstrators are demanding that Vucic and those responsible be brought to justice.
Serbia’s popular theater and film actors joined the protest. Actor Bane Trifunovic described Sunday’s rally as “a celebration of freedom.”
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As a sign of trust, the Serbian president 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 seize power.
“We will beat them again,” Vucic said. “They (the opposition) don’t know what to do but take advantage of someone’s children.”
The public prosecutor’s office has arrested 13 people about the Novi Sad tragedy, including a government minister whose release later fueled public skepticism about the honesty of the investigation.
The weeks of protests reflect general dissatisfaction with Vucic’s rule. The populist leader officially declares he wants to admit Serbia into the European Union, but has been accused of restricting democratic freedoms rather than advancing them.
Opposition parties said an interim government that would prepare free and fair elections could be a way out of the political tensions The ruling populists have also been accused of rigging previous votes.
The Serbian government has extended the winter school holidays, starting them almost a week early, to deal with increasing student protests.
Classes at universities across the Balkan country have been suspended for weeks and students are camping in their faculty buildings. In recent days, more high school students have joined the movement. Occasionally there were outbreaks of violence Pro-government thugs tried to disrupt the protests.
A group of farmers said on Sunday that police took away the tractor they had driven to central Belgrade before the protest. In addition to farmers, Serbia’s students also received nationwide support from all walks of life, including their professors, media personalities, lawyers and celebrities.
Vucic initially accused the students of protesting for money, but later said he had complied with their demands, including publishing documents about renovation work at the Novi Sad train station.
&Copy 2024 The Canadian Press
