Serbian students march in Belgrade to protest against train station disaster

BELGRADE, Serbia – Hundreds of university students rallied in Belgrade on Dec 25 to protest against the policies of President Aleksandar Vucic and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), whom they blame for a railway disaster in November in which 15 people died.

The concrete awning of the recently renovated roof of the train station in the northern city of Novi Sad caved in on Nov 1,

killing 14 and injuring three.

One of the injured people later died.

Students at universities in Belgrade and across Serbia have been protesting since then, demanding publication of documents relevant to the station renovation and the prosecution of those responsible for the disaster.

After a 15-minute silent vigil to commemorate the victims of the accident, students marched to the state prosecutor’s headquarters in Belgrade to deliver 1,000 identical letters of protest to the office of Ms Zagorka Dolovac, the chief state prosecutor.

“Students demand that you fight for the law and justice, without any political or corrupt malpractices,” the letter said.

Students, opposition and civic groups blame Ms Dolovac and prosecutors for the sluggish investigation into the train station disaster, something that Ms Dolovac and the prosecutors deny.

Students carried banners depicting a bloodied hand, which they say symbolises the government’s responsibility for the awning collapse.

“These (protests) are the way (to win), the one and only way,” said Zaklina, 22, a law student.

Opposition parties and civic groups have also taken to the streets, blaming the accident in Novi Sad on shoddy construction resulting from corruption and nepotism.

The ruling coalition denies this, and Mr Vucic has said those responsible for the station collapse must be held to account. REUTERS