Serbian protests intensify: Calls for government's resignation
In Belgrade, thousands of people gathered on Monday in front of the Serbian government headquarters, demanding the resignation of its members after the tragic death of 14 people in a dangerous incident at the construction site of the railway station in Novi Sad. "Now or never, absolute power is absolute responsibility," protesters said.
Lawyer Jovan Rajić, one of the organizers of the demonstration, stated to the protesters during a meeting: "This was not an accident. Those 14 people were killed." According to Rajić, the tragedy was caused by corruption, crime, lack of transparency, negligence, and the greed of the authorities. "This nation is hungry for justice," he added.
The former mayor of Novi Sad, Borislav Novaković, pointed out that despite 11 days passing since the catastrophe, no perpetrator has been punished. "The state does not arrest the criminals, only those who demand justice," noticed Novaković. As a result of last week's protests, several activists and politicians responsible for organizing the gathering were arrested.
They want the government to resign
The organizers gathered on Sunday accused the authorities of abusing power and avoiding responsibility for the events in Novi Sad. The speeches from the representatives of the activists repeatedly sparked loud applause from the crowd, who expressed their outrage against the government to the rhythm of drumming.
Protest participants demanded the resignation of the government and Novi Sad's mayor, Milan Djurić, the disclosure of all contracts related to the station's reconstruction, and a review of infrastructure projects from the past ten years.
Serbians announced, "We will continue the fight in the street"
Organizers announced from the platform: "If our demands are not met by the end of the week, we will continue the fight in the street." In response to the pressure, Serbia's Minister of Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure, Goran Vesić, resigned.30-year-old Milos emphasized: "What happened in Novi Sad is just the latest episode in destroying the country. This pattern is known to everyone here. Secret agreements are made, people close to power are getting rich, and no one cares about the nation." Milos pointed out.
On the other hand, 60-year-old Aleksandra expressed her feelings as follows: "Vučić keeps repeating at every step that we are a freedom-loving nation. I agree, except for him, it means the freedom to do whatever he pleases and treat Serbia as his property. It's time for him to go." she added.
After the speeches ended, the protesters headed towards the president's office, planning to submit a motion for the resignation of Prime Minister Milos Vučević. However, the building was guarded by police, as the president was attending the COP29 summit in Azerbaijan at the time.
The demonstrators carried banners with slogans: "Corruption kills," "We demand resignation," and "You are guilty, you will be held accountable." During the demonstration, slogans were chanted: "You have blood on your hands." Organizers appointed several dozen people responsible for maintaining order during the protest, who secured the area around the government and the president's office. The event ultimately ended peacefully.
