Serbian Students March From Belgrade To Novi Sad

BELGRADE -- Hundreds of Serbian students have begun a march from Belgrade to the city of Novi Sad in the latest protest to shake the country over the deadly collapse of a train station roof they say was the result of deep-seated corruption.

Residents in the capital cheered from apartment windows as the students, some holding signs with the message "One step closer to justice," embarked on the 80-kilometer walk that will culminate with a rally in Novi Sad organized by students there.

"Traffic on the route will be suspended and redirected. Members of the traffic police and public order department, as well as ambulances and water tankers, will be deployed in front of and behind the convoy," Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said.

Anger over the November collapse of the roof, which left 15 people dead, has swept across the country, with tens of thousands taking to the streets as part of a movement calling for greater accountability and justice.

In response, Prime Minister Milos Vucevic and Novi Sad Mayor Milan Duric stepped down this week, saying they considered themselves "objectively responsible" for what happened.

Serbia Protest March Begins Amid Political Turmoil

The protests have piled pressure on populist Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who faces his biggest challenge since taking office a decade ago.

Vucic said on January 29 that his ruling party will decide in the next 10 days whether it will put forward a new government, which has attempted to maintain close ties to traditional ally Russia while also promoting the country's European Union membership hopes, or call snap parliamentary elections.

The canopy collapse occurred after the Novi Sad railway station had been renovated twice in recent years by a Chinese-led consortium of four companies. Serbian Railways insisted the renovation didn’t include the concrete overhang, but some experts disputed that, while many people blame corruption and poor construction oversight for the tragedy.

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Participants in recent demonstrations called for accountability for those deemed responsible for the Novi Sad tragedy. They have also demanded officials be investigated for the beating of students during the protests.

Vucic also said he was ready to provide an amnesty for all students and professors facing criminal charges following their arrests during the recent protests.

Students have also been holding more than 60 state universities in lockdown for the past two months. Their primary demand is that authorities release complete documentation on the railway station reconstruction projects.

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The authorities claim all their demands have been met and urge students to open the faculties.

Academics, on the other hand, say the requirements have been only partially met and the suspension of work at the faculties will continue until further notice.

They insist the documentation on the reconstruction of the train station published on the website of the government of Serbia and on the website of the prosecutor-general's office in Novi Sad is incomplete.