Thousands of people march in Serbia a month after the tragedy in Novi Sad

2024-12-01 21:20:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Thousands of people joined a protest march on Sunday in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad to mark the one-month anniversary of the collapse of the concrete shelter at the railway station in Novi Sad, which left 15 dead and two injured.

At the front of the march, protesters held a large banner that featured a red handprint — a message to authorities that they have blood on their hands, the Associated Press reports.

Later, participants left the same symbolic message on the asphalt in the main square in Novi Sad, as well as painting most of the square red.

Roadblock protests have been held almost every day since the shelter collapsed on November 1, demanding accountability after concrete from the shelter fell on people sitting or walking under it on a sunny day.

The railway station building had been renovated twice in recent years. Many people in Serbia believe that widespread corruption and collusion contributed to the shoddy renovation and collapse of the shelter.

While the prosecutors have announced the arrest of 13 people, a Serbian court has released the former Minister of Construction, Goran Veši?, from detention. This has fueled widespread skepticism about the ongoing investigation, as populists control both the police and the judiciary.

The march on Sunday in Novi Sad was held quietly and passed off peacefully, unlike several roadblocks in recent weeks, when pro-government supporters have tried to disrupt rallies and clashed with protesters.

Clashes have also broken out in the Serbian Parliament between the ruling party and opposition MPs.

The protests are also seen as a challenge to Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vucic, whose populist government has strong control over mainstream media and institutions, the Associated Press reports.

Vucic on Sunday defended his supporters who showed up at opposition-led roadblock protests. He said that blocking the roads constitutes "the most extreme violence" against citizens.

Opposition parties are demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister of Serbia and his Government, as well as access to all documentation on the building of the railway station and other infrastructure projects carried out in cooperation with Chinese state-owned companies.

The station in Novi Sad was originally built in 1964. Its renovation was part of a larger project with China and Hungary to build a high-speed railway between Belgrade and Budapest./REL