Thousands flock to Belgrade square to protest Serbia’s populist – nationalist president
Tens of thousands flocked to a central square in the Serbian capital on Sunday for a major rally against President Aleksandar Vucic and his government, whose grip on power has been challenged by street protests led by university students.
The meeting in Belgrade’s Slavija Square, one of the largest in recent years, was called by students and farmers’ unions. It was part of a wider movement seeking accountability for the collapse of a bed at a train station in the north of the country that killed 15 people.
Small rallies were also held in the towns of Nis and Kragujevac. The rally in Belgrade began with a 15-minute silence for the victims, and later they chanted “You have blood on your hands!” it was heard.
Many in Serbia blame the fallout on widespread corruption and sloppy work at the railway station building in the city of Novi Sad, which has been renovated twice in recent years as part of dubious mega projects involving Chinese state-owned companies. Protesters want Vucic and those involved to face justice.
Famous Serbian theater and film actors joined the protest, with actor Bane Trifunovic describing Sunday’s rally as a “celebration of freedom.”
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In a show of confidence, the Serbian president on Sunday opened a section of a newly constructed highway in central Serbia. Vucic said that he would not budge from the demands of the opposition groups that the interim government should again accuse his opponents of using students to try to take over the government.
“We will beat them again,” Vucic said. “They (opposition groups) don’t know what to do without using people’s children.”
Prosecutors arrested 13 people over the Novi Sad tragedy, including a government minister whose release later raised public doubts about the credibility of the investigation.
The week-long protests reflect widespread dissatisfaction with Vucic’s rule. This nationalist leader says he wants to include Serbia in the European Union, but he has faced accusations of taking away democratic freedom instead of promoting it.
The opposition parties say that an interim government that will prepare free and fair elections can be a way to end the political tension as the ruling leaders are accused of rigging the previous votes.
The Serbian government extended the winter school holidays almost a week ago to deal with student protests.
Classes at universities across the Balkans were suspended for weeks as students camped out inside their faculty buildings. In recent days, many high school students have joined this movement. Violence broke out when government-sponsored criminals tried to disrupt the protests.
A group of farmers said on Sunday that the police seized a tractor they had driven into the center of Belgrade before the demonstration. In addition to farmers, Serbian students have received support across the country from all walks of life including their professors, media personalities, lawyers and prominent people.
Vucic first accused the students of starting the protests to demand money, but later he said that he had fulfilled their demands, including publishing documents related to the repair work of the Novi Sad station.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
