Students protest against government policies, corruption, and negligence, which they blame for the deaths of the victims in the November 2024 Novi Sad railway station disaster, in front of the constitutional court in Belgrade, Serbia, January 12, 2025. REUTERS/Djordje Kojadinovic
BELGRADE (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters in Belgrade on Sunday switched on the lights on their mobile phones and stood in silence for 15 minutes to commemorate victims of a railway station roof collapse for which they blame authorities.
The protest was organised and led by students of the Belgrade state university who are demanding that those responsible for roof collapse are brought to justice.
They blame the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) of President Aleksandar Vucic for corruption and nepotism, which he and the party deny.
Students at state universities in Belgrade, Kragujevac and Nis have been blockading classes for weeks to demand the release of all documents relevant to the renovation of the station, as well as criminal prosecution of officials responsible for the disaster.
Every day they block traffic in front of their faculties for 15 minutes to commemorate the 15 victims.
The concrete awning of the recently renovated roof of Novi Sad station caved in on Nov. 1, killing 14 and injuring three. One of the injured died later.
Opposition leaders and the public have taken to the streets repeatedly, blaming the accident on shoddy construction resulting from government corruption and nepotism.
The ruling coalition denies those charges, and Vucic has said those responsible must be held to account.
"We have been unhappy for years. We came here to express our revolt (with authorities), and to support students," said Tamara Kovacevic, one of the protesters.
(Reporting by Ivana Sekularac and Branko Filipovic; editing by Giles Elgood)
