Thousands rally in Serbia as anger over corruption swells

Tens of thousands of students marched into the central Serbian city of Kragujevac on Saturday, demanding justice after a deadly railway disaster, in one of the biggest shows of anger against the government.

In the three months since 15 people were killed when a roof collapsed at a newly-renovated train station in Serbia’s second-biggest city of Novi Sad, mass demonstrations have grown into the biggest threat yet to President Aleksandar Vucic’s decade-long grip on power.

Joined by teachers, farmers and other workers, the students have drawn support from the wider public as many Serbians have blamed the tragedy on corruption within the government.

On Saturday, students braved near-freezing temperatures to travel to Kragujevac from across Serbia, by bus and even on foot from the capital Belgrade, some 140 kilometres (87 miles) away, beating drums, blowing whistles and waving the country’s flag. Locals greeted them with cheers.

The protesters planned to blockade one of the city’s main boulevards for 15 hours and 15 minutes in a symbolic tribute to the 15 victims. They also held 15 minutes of silence.

“We are here to fight for a better tomorrow, against corruption,” said 20-year-old Jovan, who drove from Belgrade with friends.

By noon, all roads leading to Kragujevac were jammed with traffic. As the numbers swelled, locals brought the protesters homemade pies and hot tea.

Verica, a 52-year-old professor from the city, joined the protest with her teenage daughter.

“I have not been so happy and proud for a long time,” she said.

Vucic’s government has said it will launch an anti-corruption campaign, and has also denied allegations of corruption.

Vucic on Saturday assembled supporters from the Republika Srpska in neighbouring Bosnia, as well as from Serbia, at a rally in the town of Sremska Mitrovica, in the country’s northwest.

“Their goal is not to topple Vucic, but to bring down Serbia,” Vucic said of the protesters, adding that they were backed by unspecified Western countries.

STUDENT DEMANDS

Prime Minister Milos Vucevic and two other ministers have resigned over the protests and prosecutors have charged 13 people in connection with the roof collapse.

Daily protests, however, have continued and students have taken over university buildings and blocked highways and squares.

“We want to be able to continue our studies but only when our demands are met,” said Djordje Vujovic, 22, a mechanical engineering student.

The students are demanding that authorities publish documents relating to the station roof collapse, justice for those responsible, the dismissal of charges against protesting students, and an increased budget for higher education.

Ivan and Ivana, 23-year-old mathematics students, were among a group of around 400 people who had walked for four days to reach Kragujevac from Belgrade.

“We wanted to show the people living in the country that we support them,” Ivan said. “We do not think only about the people in Belgrade.”