Thousands of students in Serbia have taken to the streets to protest against alleged violations of their civil rights by the populist government. The rallies come as a stark warning to President Aleksandar Vucic’s increasingly autocratic rule.
The protests began on Sunday with thousands of people holding a silent vigil outside the Constitutional Court in Belgrade, commemorating the victims of a deadly concrete canopy collapse at a railway station in Novi Sad last November. The incident sparked daily anti-corruption protests that have continued to grow.
Students are demanding accountability for the tragedy and claiming that sloppy reconstruction work due to corruption led to the collapse. They also accuse President Vucic’s government of pressuring them with allegations of receiving foreign funding for their protests, despite no evidence to support this claim.
The students’ movement has faced fierce backlash from the pro-government media, which have released personal data of protesters without consequence, allegedly with the help of Serbia’s state security agency. One student, Luka Stojakovic, warned that the government will intensify pressure on his family and other activists, threatening to link them to political parties.
The rallies highlight widespread discontent among Serbian citizens with President Vucic’s tightening grip on power. The students have received significant popular support, drawing tens of thousands of protesters to their rallies. They are demanding greater transparency and an end to government interference in academic life.
As protests continue, the government has maintained that it will only step down when it decides to do so, dismissing criticism from President Vucic as “stupid.” However, concerns over the independence of ongoing investigations into the train station collapse have sparked further unrest.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/serbia-students-protest-constitution-court-roof-collapse-e323d94de6b1d058cb97d8669d2f224b