Student and peasant unions organized a rally against President Aleksandar Vučić in the main square of the Serbian capital Belgrade on Sunday.
advertisementHis tight grip on power has been challenged by weeks of street protests led by university students, with a rally in Belgrade’s Slavia Square one of the largest in recent years. The move was part of a broader campaign demanding accountability for the Nov. 1 collapse of a train station canopy in the country’s north, killing 15 people.
Smaller rallies were also held in the cities of Nis and Kragujevac. The rally in Belgrade began with a 15-minute moment of silence for the victims, followed by the chant: “There’s blood on our hands!” I was asked.
Many in Serbia blame the collapse on widespread corruption and sloppy construction of Novi Sad’s train station. The station building has been renovated twice in recent years as part of questionable mega-projects involving Chinese state-owned companies. Protesters are demanding justice be brought to justice for Vučić and those responsible.
Popular Serbian theater and film actors took part in the protests, with actor Vane Trifunovic describing Sunday’s rally as a “freedom festival”.
In a show of confidence, the Serbian president on Sunday inaugurated part of a newly constructed highway in central Serbia. Vučić said he would not compromise the opposition’s demands to form a transitional government and accused the opposition of trying to use students to seize power.
“We will defeat them again. They (the opposition) don’t know what to do except use other people’s children,” Vučić said.
Prosecutors have arrested 13 people over the Novi Sad tragedy, including a government minister whose later release raised public doubts about the integrity of the investigation.
The weeks-long protests reflect widespread dissatisfaction with Vučić’s rule. Vučić has publicly stated that he wants Serbia to join the European Union, but faces accusations that he is suppressing democratic freedoms rather than promoting them.
Opposition parties argue that a caretaker government preparing for free and fair elections could be a way out of political tensions, as the ruling party has also been accused of rigging past votes.
The Serbian government has started and extended school winter holidays nearly a week early in a bid to deal with growing student protests.
Universities across the Balkans have suspended classes for weeks, with students camping out in faculty buildings. Recently, more high school students have joined the movement. Violence occasionally broke out when pro-government thugs attempted to disrupt protests.
Farmers’ groups said on Sunday that police had removed a tractor they had driven into central Belgrade ahead of the protests. In addition to farmers, Serbian students receive nationwide support from all walks of life, including professors, media personalities, lawyers, and celebrities.
Vučić initially accused the students of starting the protest for money, but later said he had fulfilled their demands, including releasing documents about renovations at the Novi Sad train station.
