
Several thousand people demonstrated on Monday evening in Belgrade to call for the resignation of Serbian prime minister Milos Vucevic following a fatal train station roof collapse.
The protest in the Serbian capital came 10 days after the accident killed 14 in the northern city of Novi Sad鈥檚 train station, which had just completed a years-long renovation months earlier.
With minors among the dead, the accident sparked uproar across Serbia. Many protesters accuse the political class of nepotism and corruption, as well as lax oversight on construction and development projects.
Braving the cold and pouring rain to heed the opposition鈥檚 call to join Monday鈥檚 rally, protesters chanted for those responsible to be locked up, AFP journalists saw.
鈥楾hey weren鈥檛 victims of an accident, it wasn鈥檛 an accident. They were killed. They were killed by corruption, by criminality,鈥� lawyer Jovan Rajic told the crowd from a podium.
Pavle Cicvanovic of the student 鈥楤orba鈥� (meaning 鈥楥ombat鈥�) group said that those 鈥榳hose hands are stained with blood, who commit crimes and have no shame are in power鈥�.
Construction minister Goran Vesic resigned on Friday, but the protests have continued nonetheless.
Around 20,000 people gathered in Novi Sad on Friday for a demonstration that was marred by incidents.
Fourteen people accused of attacking the town hall, smashing windows and throwing incendiary objects were arrested.
Calling for their release, student activist Cicvanovic said: 鈥楾hose who demanded accountability ended up in prison... while those responsible for killing people are walking among us.鈥�
Speaking to a government-friendly television station in the evening, Prime Minister Vucevic accused the opposition of 鈥榓busing the tragedy鈥� and of wishing 鈥榯o take power without elections鈥�.
He also announced further resignations in the name of accountability 鈥榠n the coming days鈥�.
鈥榃hat has happened is horrible and we cannot just ignore it. It is obvious that there have been failings,鈥� said Vucevic.