Following a deadly train station roof collapse, thousands of people protested in Belgrade on Monday night, demanding the resignation of Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic.
Ten days after the tragedy that killed 14 people at the train station in the northern city of Novi Sad, which had just finished a years-long restoration months earlier, the protest took place in the capital of Serbia.
The catastrophe caused a stir throughout Serbia, with children among the deceased. Numerous demonstrators charge the political elite with corruption, nepotism, and inadequate supervision of building and development projects.
AFP journalists witnessed protestors chanting for those responsible to be imprisoned as they braved the cold and torrential rain to attend the march on Monday.
“They weren’t victims of an accident, it wasn’t an accident. They were killed. They were killed by corruption, by criminality,” lawyer Jovan Rajic told the crowd from a podium.
Pavle Cicvanovic of the student “Borba” (meaning “Combat”) group said that those “whose hands are stained with blood, who commit crimes and have no shame are in power”.
Construction Minister Goran Vesic resigned on Friday, but the protests have continued nonetheless.
Around 20,000 people gathered in Novi Sad on Friday for a demonstration that was marred by incidents.
Fourteen people accused of attacking the town hall, smashing windows and throwing incendiary objects were arrested.
Calling for their release, student activist Cicvanovic said: “Those who demanded accountability ended up in prison… while those responsible for killing people are walking among us.”
Speaking to a government-friendly television station in the evening, Prime Minister Vucevic accused the opposition of “abusing the tragedy” and of wishing “to take power without elections”.
He also announced further resignations in the name of accountability “in the coming days”.
“What has happened is horrible and we cannot just ignore it. It is obvious that there have been failings,” said Vucevic.
