Thousands of protesters gathered last night in front of the Serbian government building, demanding that those responsible for an incident at the train station in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad, in which 14 people died, arrested, reports the Serbian newsroom on TV En1.
The rally, organized by the opposition, raised demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Milos Vucevic and Mayor of Novi Sad Milan Djuric. The activists also demand that the contracts related to the reconstruction of the railway station in Novi Sad be disclosed, that those responsible for the tragedy be arrested and an extraordinary investigation be carried out. all infrastructure projects that have been worked on for the past 10 years.
On November 1, in Novi Sad, about 70 km from Belgrade, the visor fell at the entrance of the city’s railway station, killing 14 people and injuring three others.
After a three-year renovation, the station was officially opened in July this year. Authorities say the concrete scene was not covered by the repair.
So far, only the Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, Goran Vesic, has resigned, but he said that he does not take the blame for the tragedy.
In relation to what happened, 53 people were questioned, but no one is in custody. On the other hand, twelve people were arrested after a protest in Novi Sad last week, notes En1.
The organizers of the rally last night planned to take their demands to President Aleksandar Vucic. However, the presidency was locked and surrounded by a police cordon, so the protesters will bring their demands to the parliament.
If these demands are not met, opposition MPs will call for a vote of no confidence in the government and there will be new protests.
Serbian opposition politicians, activists and human rights groups accuse the governor of corruption, ties to organized crime, nepotism and excessive bureaucracy. Vucic and his friends deny these accusations, Reuters notes.
According to the non-governmental organization “Archiv Yavnih Skupova”, about 10,000 people attended the protest last night.
At the start of the protest, the names of those who died in the accident at the station were read out. They were honored with a moment of silence.
The protesters had placards with the words “You are guilty, you will be responsible”, “Resigning – immediately”, said Beta Agency.
The “Corruption Kills” protest passed without incident, En1 notes.
