The largest gathering in Serbia sees 325,000 protest government

Hundreds of thousands of people came down to the capital of Serbia on Saturday to protest the death of 15 people at a railway station.

While the government witnessed the attendance at 107,000 across Belgrade, independent monitoring said that 325,000 – if not more – gathered, making it the biggest protest in Serbia ever.

the Novi Sad Glaps Last November, she was angry at the government and President Alexander Fotic. The demonstrators blame corruption and cutting the corner for the loss of lives.

They believe that the catastrophe reflects more than a decade of the ruling by the progressive party of the VCIC – which was closely associated with the renewal of the last station.

Despite multiple resignations – VCIC insisted that it does not go anywhere – the protests only continued to grow.

“We just want a country that works,” law student Jana Vasic told the BBC at the growing crowd in Belgrade.

“We want institutions that perform their functions properly. We do not care about the party in power. But we need a country that works, and not in terms of not getting justice for more than four months.”

The Republic of Midan – only one of the four meeting points around the capital of Serbia in the protest “15 versus 15” – was full of flow on Saturday.

Some have resorted to the energy of Prince Mihaglo’s statue – the traditional place for those in need of meeting, equivalent to Eros in Piccadili, London.

Others were designed along the way in front of the National Museum, and it extends to the student field.

Other meeting points were crowded before he wandered in the planned national association in front of the National Assembly.

The general meeting archive said that 275,000-325,000 had attended the protest – “with the possibility that the number is higher.”

He added, “Because of the extraordinary size, dynamic nature and assembly structure, as well as the unclear situation in some parts of the city … a more accurate evaluation cannot be made.”

Serbian media reports were arrested 22 people and 56 others were injured.

While the protests began on the collapse of the Novi Sad with students, taxi drivers, farmers and lawyers joined them.

Before the major protest, motorcyclists set out outside the National Assembly, where they faced tractors surrounding a professional camp supporting the government.

Then a procession from the veterans of military warriors received an exciting welcome. They said they would arrest the citizen on anyone who attacked the students.

Students call for transparency and fully accountable for the collapse of a concrete and glass umbrella in the station in the second city of Serbia, which was renovated and reopened only – by VCIC – in 2022.

They want the government to publish all documents related to the renewal project and say they are not satisfied with the papers issued by the authorities so far.

They also want those responsible for the disaster, they are charged and convicted. At least 16 public prosecutors accused 16 people, including former Building Minister Gouran Vezic.

But the accusations have not yet been tried. Students insist that they will continue their protests until the authorities meet all their demands.

“We are making progress,” a student representing the teaching staff at the BBC University philosophy told the BBC. “But at this point none of our demands were completely met.”

“Two politicians resigned from their offices,” another note. “But they have not been separated. We have not yet seen anything but empty promises.”

Prime Minister Milus announced his resignation at the end of January. But this was not ratified by the National Assembly and is still in office.

But the real power in Serbia lies with Vocic, who insists that it does not go anywhere.

“I do not give up to blackmail,” he said at a media conference on the eve of the big protest. “I will not allow the street to pave a terrible future for this country.”

Vocic described student protests as “goodwill”. But he had the least insulting words to the opposition parties, describing them as members of a “criminal cartel”. He accused them of trying to force the formation of the “interim government”.

Borko Stefanovic does not deny that opposition parties are looking to create a “expert government”.

It is described by the deputy head of the Freedom and Justice Party as a “rational way only” of the political crisis, which would determine the conditions of the new elections.

Like other opposition leaders, Stefanovic says that free elections are currently not possible because of the party’s gradual dominance of the media and state institutions.

But this is not one of the students ’demands. They simply claim the truth behind the Novi Sad disaster.

“They are asking for the things that I have been present – the rule of law, respect for the constitution, responsibility and accountability of public officials,” says Law Professor Midraj Jovanovich.

Whatever happens during the “15 to 15” protest, it seems unlikely that students will decline until they receive some satisfactory answers.