BELGRADE, Serbia — Anti-government protesters in Serbia on Monday demanded the arrest and resignation of top officials over the collapse of a cement roof at a train station that killed 14 people in the northern city this month.
The meeting in Belgrade blamed rampant corruption and sloppy repair work on the station building in Novi Sad—part of a wider deal with Chinese state-owned companies involved in many infrastructure projects in the Balkan country.
Borislav Novakovic, former mayor of Novi Sad, accused the ruling leaders of “filling their bloody pockets while filling the graves of Serbia.” The regime was “responsible for the crime that killed 14 people,” he added. The crowd replied “jail”.
Several thousand protesters demanded that Prime Minister Milos Vucevic and his government step down and that those responsible for the collapse be arrested.
Authorities have opened an investigation and Serbia’s construction minister resigned last week, but no one has been charged or arrested in connection with the Nov.
Monday’s rally was peaceful, unlike last week’s in Novi Sad when masked people threw stones, bottles and red paint at City Hall after thousands marched peacefully. The police used tear gas to fight the rioters.
Government officials have promised full accountability, but there is widespread skepticism because populists control both the police and the judiciary.
The train station, which was first built in 1964, has been renovated twice in recent years and was opened by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and his famous counterpart, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, two years ago as a major milestone for the planned high-speed train line. Belgrade and Budapest.
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