As protests over a deadly train station roof collapse continued, student demonstrators in Serbia called for a one-day nationwide strike on Friday in an effort to increase pressure on the administration.
The November catastrophe, which claimed 15 lives and happened soon after the Novi Sad station was refurbished, stoked long-simmering resentment over corruption and a purported lack of supervision of building and development projects.
“Don’t buy anything. Don’t go to work. Join us in the streets,” the protesters said in a widely shared social media post.
On January 24, a protester-led strike caused many people to skip shopping, businesses to close, and movie theaters to close.
However, major services like public transportation and power generation remained operational.
Since the disaster, protests have been taking place almost daily, putting pressure on the government and forcing the resignation of several high-ranking officials, including the prime minister.
Many primary and secondary schools in Serbia are shuttered, and students have been occupying university campuses for months.
President Aleksandar Vucic and other government representatives have taken a variety of stances, at times pleading for dialogue and addressing the demands of the students, while at other times accusing the protesters of having foreign support.
The growing protest movement, which has attracted thousands to protests throughout Serbia, has seen university students emerge as its leaders.
Tens of thousands of people gathered in the southern city of Nis over the weekend for the most recent large-scale demonstration.
Students have frequently traveled on foot throughout Serbia between large rallies in an effort to spread the word about their anti-corruption campaign in towns and villages that have historically been Vucic strongholds.
The capital, Belgrade, is set to host the next large-scale rally on March 15.
