Protesters from all over Serbia gathered in Belgrade on Saturday, marking what could be the largest protest the country has seen since the ouster of autocrat Slobodan Milosevic in 2000. The main cause for the protests is the demand for accountability over the deadly collapse of the Novi Sad railway station canopy in November, which claimed the lives of 15 people. The renovation work had been carried out under suspicious circumstances, involving Chinese companies with alleged ties to the ruling Progressive Party (SNS). The government initially denied any work had been done on the canopy but later admitted to alterations.

Joining the students leading the protests are farmers, bikers, and military veterans, with roads leading to key sites in Belgrade clogged by the large numbers of crowd. Protest organizers say the action encapsulates broader complaints about SNS leader President Aleksandar Vucic and his government, including corruption, nepotism, and bad governance. Prime Minister Milos Vucevic and Novi Sad’s mayor, Milan Djuric, have stepped down during the ongoing protests.

Vucic, accused of suppressing dissent, insists that all the documents related to the renovation have been revealed. He has dismissed the unrest as a foreign-instigated issue and vowed to arrest anyone disturbing the peace. The Vucic government, while maintaining a nationalist stance, has balanced relationships with Western, Russian, and Chinese powers.

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/serbia-protesters-flood-belgrade-as-tensions-rise/a-71933147?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf