Protests in Serbia: Students defend themselves against Vucic and corruption!

Protests in Serbia: Students defend themselves against Vucic and corruption!

Things are boiling in Serbia: student protests against President Aleksandar Vucic are in full swing after a tragic accident on November 1st at the Novi Sad train station in which 15 people died unleashed public anger. Renovations to the building, which only reopened in the summer, were carried out by Chinese companies and other government-linked companies. Since then, protesters have been demanding comprehensive information about the inadequate execution of the work, which only reinforces their suspicions of corruption Kosmo.at reported.

The arrests of several high-ranking politicians, including the resigned Infrastructure Minister Goran Vesic and the Trade Minister Tomislav Momirovic, alone failed to calm the pent-up anger. Vucic himself remains cool despite growing speculation about a possible resignation and only wants to comment on these questions later orf.at quoted. Despite the announcement to increase funding for state universities, calls for a functioning political system remained loud. The students of the Belgrade Faculty of Arts clarify that their demands are addressed to independent institutions, not to the president, who, in their opinion, is responsible for the current situation.

Counter-pressure against authoritarian rule

Vucic's authoritarian style, which has guided the country's fortunes since 2017, is causing increasing resistance. The protests, marked by ongoing 15-minute traffic blockades as a memorial event for the accident victims, send a clear message to the government. However, Vucic himself warned: “There will be no colorful revolution in Serbia, nor a violent takeover of power,” when he discussed the situation at a government meeting. But the protesters do not give up and continue to demonstrate against the grievances, sometimes with violent clashes, as reported in the incident in which a demonstrator was hit by a vehicle.