Tens of thousands join student-led protests in Belgrade

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BELGRADE (Reuters) – Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters in Belgrade on Friday stood in silence in front of the state television RTS building for 15 minutes to commemorate victims of a railway station roof collapse for which they blame Serbian authorities.

The protest was organised and led by students of the Belgrade state university who are demanding that those responsible for the roof collapse that killed more than a dozen people are brought to justice.

Twin brothers, Lazar and Luka Stojakovic, activists at the Faculty of Organisational Science at the Belgrade University, had been identified by a pro-government daily Vecernje Novosti as protest leaders paid by Croatia’s secret service.

Their passports, pictures and personal details had been published in the daily. But Lazar and Luka did not get scared and continued with protests. They were among protesters in front of the RTS on Friday.

“Corruption entered every single layer of our society and it is the main cause of roof collapse and killing of 15 people,” Luka Stojakovic said, explaining why they protest.

“The main problem is there is no system here, one man makes all decisions,” Lazar Stojakovic said.

The students blame the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) of President Aleksandar Vucic for corruption and nepotism, which he and the party deny.

Students at state universities in Belgrade, Kragujevac and Nis have been blockading classes for weeks to demand the release of all documents relevant to the renovation of the station, as well as criminal prosecution of officials responsible for the disaster.

Every day they block traffic in front of their faculties for 15 minutes to commemorate the 15 victims.

The concrete awning of the recently renovated roof of Novi Sad station caved in on Nov. 1, killing 14 and injuring three. One of the injured died later.

(Reporting by Ivana Sekularac; editing by Diane Craft)