Roof Collapse at Train Station; Tens of Thousands Protest Against Government in Serbia

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, on Sunday, emphasizing that government corruption was the cause of last month's incident in the north of the country, protesting against the government. The collapse of a concrete canopy in the outdoor area of the train station in the city of Novi Sad occurred on November 2, leaving 15 dead. Reuters reported that the number of participants in the Belgrade protests on Sunday, December 23, was tens of thousands, noting that these protests were a continuation of weeks of student protests. In the first 15 minutes of the Sunday protest, demonstrators stood in silence to honor the 15 victims of the incident, after which they whistled and chanted, holding government officials responsible for the incident. According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, thousands of people from other sectors joined the students in the protest, and the large Slavija Square and surrounding streets were filled with crowds. Some protesters held posters and placards reading 'Your hands are stained with blood.' Some chanted 'Vucic is a thief,' while others held signs depicting bloody hands. Aleksandar Vucic has been the President of Serbia since 2017 and was previously the Prime Minister. In recent weeks, students at 50 public faculties have taken action to close classes or block surrounding streets for 15 minutes every day. Protesters say the expansion of unsafe construction in Serbia is one of the results of government corruption and nepotism among officials. The ruling coalition has denied these accusations, and Aleksandar Vucic has stated that those responsible for the incident must be held accountable. The train station in Novi Sad has been rebuilt twice in recent years, both times by a consortium of four companies led by China. The Serbian Railways company claims that the renovations did not include the concrete canopy; however, some experts have disputed this. According to the Novi Sad prosecutor's office, 11 people have been arrested in connection with this incident. Reports indicate that a former Minister of Transport and Urban Development and a former director of railway infrastructure are among those arrested.