MADRID 1 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Dozens of people have turned the celebration of the new year festivities into a massive demonstration in several cities in Serbia against the country’s Government to demand political and judicial reforms in the Balkan country.
The protesters, hundreds of young university students, are fighting against the country’s Executive after the collapse of a canopy at the central train station in the city of Novi Sad, in the north of the country, which killed 15 people.
The tragedy, blamed on corruption and poor construction practices by Serbian leaders, has sparked widespread public outcry and demands for accountability.
“There is no New Year. They still owe us the previous one,” read the banners made by the students of several universities in Belgrade who organized the protests.
Anti-government protesters maintain that, despite the holiday season, their commitment to seeking justice is still alive. This student-led movement has already gained support from various social groups, including teachers, farmers and actors, reflecting broader discontent with President Aleksandar Vucic’s autocratic leadership.
Thousands of people have also gathered in Novi Sad and the southern city of Nis in rallies parallel to the one in the capital also led by university students from those cities.
This past Monday, Serbia’s prosecutor general charged 13 people, including a former minister, for the collapse of the concrete canopy, although protesters claim that it is not enough, since the indictment does not include charges for possible corrupt agreements during the renovation of the Novi Sad train station with Chinese companies.