Students march from Belgrade to Novi Sad are demanding accountability for a deadly awning collapse in a train station in November which killed 15 people.
Student-led protesters continued on Friday their two-day march from the Serbian capital Belgrade to the northern city of Novi Sad after pausing in Inđija, where they spent the night in a football stadium.
The demonstrators started their 80-kilometre march on Thursday with plans to participate in the 24-hour blockade of bridges in the regional capital of Novi Sad on Saturday.
It is the latest endeavour in the ongoing series of protests over a deadly train station awning collapse in November that killed 15 people, demanding those responsible be held accountable.
”We will make it to Novi Sad. Yesterday’s walk was easy. It’s cold now, but we can make it. We all have the same goal,” said Nevena Večerinac, one of the students taking part in the march.
What started as a protest against suspected corruption in construction contracts has developed into the most serious challenge in years to Serbia’s leader, President Aleksandar Vučić.
Vučić and his right-wing populist Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) have faced accusations of stifling democratic freedoms despite promises to lead Serbia into the European Union.
Many in Serbia believe that the collapse of the awning at the train station was essentially caused by systemic corruption in large infrastructure projects, particularly those involving third-country companies. Critics believe this has led to a sloppy job during the Chinese-company reconstruction of the Novi Sad train station, poor oversight and disrespect of existing safety regulations.
On Tuesday, Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vučević announced his resignation in the wake of protests over the Novi Sad accident.
Meanwhile, a driver in Belgrade drove his car through a group of protesters observing a moment of silence for the victims of the awning collapse.
Two women, said to be doctors, both suffered minor injuries in the third such incident in weeks. The police apprehended the driver, according to reports.
Video editor • Rory Elliott Armstrong
