Tens of thousands flocked to a central square in the Serbian capital on Sunday to participate in a large march against… Populist President Aleksandar Vucic And his government, whose tight grip on power has been challenged by weeks of street protests Led by university students.
Students and farmer unions called for a protest in Belgrade’s Slavia Square, one of the largest demonstrations in recent years. It was part of a broader movement demanding accountability for the events of November 1 An umbrella collapses at a railway station north of the country, killing 15 people.
Smaller marches were also held in the cities of Nis and Kragujevac. The rally in Belgrade began with a 15-minute silence to mourn the victims, followed by chants of “You have blood on your hands!” She was heard.
Many in Serbia blame the collapse on… Corruption is widespread And sloppy work on the railway station building in Novi Sad, which has been renovated twice in recent years as part of questionable mega-projects involving Chinese state companies. The demonstrators demand that Vucic and those responsible be brought to justice.
Theater and film actors in Serbia joined the protest, with actor Bani Trifunovic describing Sunday’s march as a “festival of freedom.”
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In a show of confidence, the Serbian president on Sunday opened a section of a newly built highway in central Serbia. Vucic said he would not budge on opposition demands to form a transitional government and accused his opponents of using students to try to seize power.
“We will defeat them again,” Vucic said. “They (the opposition) don’t know what to do except exploit someone’s children.”
The prosecution arrested 13 people regarding the Novi Sad tragedy, including the minister whose subsequent release raised public doubts about the integrity of the investigation.
The weeks-long protests reflect broader dissatisfaction with Vucic’s rule. The populist leader officially says he wants to bring Serbia into the European Union, but has faced accusations of curbing democratic freedoms rather than promoting them.
Opposition parties said that forming a transitional government that would prepare to hold free and fair elections could be a way out of political tensions. The ruling populists have also been accused of rigging previous votes.
The Serbian government has extended school winter holidays by starting almost a week earlier to counter growing student protests.
Classes have been suspended at universities across the Balkan country for weeks with students camping inside their college buildings. In recent days, more high school students have joined the movement. Occasional violence broke out when Pro-government thugs tried to disrupt the protests.
A group of farmers said on Sunday that police confiscated the tractor they were driving in central Belgrade before the protest. In addition to farmers, Serbian students also received support at the national level from all walks of life including their teachers, media figures, lawyers and prominent figures.
Vucic initially accused the students of starting protests for money, but later said he had met their demands, including publishing documents related to renovation work at Novi Sad station.
& Edition 2024 The Canadian Press
