Serbians protest against government: Reasons revealed
Activists blame the authorities for the tragedy at the railway station (illustrative photo: Getty Images)
On Friday, an accident at a railway station in a Serbian city took lives. Now a rally has begun in the Serbian capital Belgrade, reports Reuters.
The incident occurred in the town of Novi Sad, located about 70 km northwest of Belgrade. There, on Friday, a roof suddenly collapsed at the entrance to the station, killing 14 people and seriously injuring three.
In response to the incident, hundreds of opposition activists rallied to protest the deadly accident at a train station in northern Serbia, which they blamed on government negligence and corruption.
The protesters, holding placards with the words “The blood is on your hands” and “Corruption kills” and chanting “Arrest (President Aleksandar - ed.) Vučić,” marched past government buildings in the center of the Serbian capital.
“We are all shaken and furious ... the state is directly responsible for this,” said one of the protesters.
Reuters writes that opposition politicians, activists, and human rights organizations in Serbia accuse the authorities loyal to Vučić, as well as the Serbian Progressive Party, of rampant corruption, ties to organized crime, nepotism, and excessive bureaucracy.
In turn, Vučić and his allies deny such accusations. In particular, Serbian Prime Minister Miloš Vučević said on Sunday that the authorities are investigating the perpetrators of the crash.
“Prosecution and police are working to establish criminal responsibility ... (and) there is no avoidance of political responsibility,” he said.
The Novi Sad prosecutor's office said its investigators had interviewed 26 people in connection with the crash, including Transport Minister Goran Vesić, and had secured documents of importance. Another 14 people have been summoned for questioning, it added.
Reuters adds that the station in Novi Sad was renovated in 2021 and 2022. Other minor works continued until July this year.
