BELGRADE (Reuters) -Tens of thousands of protesters silently marched in Belgrade on Monday to commemorate the deaths of 16 people killed when a roof on a renovated railway station collapsed, demanding snap elections they hope would oust President Aleksandar Vucic and his ruling SNS party.
The protesters, invited by high school pupils, gathered around 7 p.m. (1700 GMT) in front of the old railway station in Belgrade. Sixteen high school pupils walked down the Savski Trg square holding one white rose while names of the victims were read.
Protests were held in several other towns including Novi Sad, Kragujevac and Aleksinac.
“Corruption is the root of all problems in our society. Elections can be the only solution for this situation,” said Srdjan, a 35-year-old scientists who attended the protest.
Months of protests across Serbia sparked by the deaths of 16 people last November have rattled Vucic and his SNS party.
Protests have been mainly peaceful until August 13 when dozens of police officers and civilians were injured in clashes.
Protesters have blamed corruption for the Novi Sad railway station disaster and are demanding early elections in hopes of ousting Vucic and his party.
Students, opposition groups, and anti-corruption watchdogs have accused Vucic and his allies of ties to organized crime, using violence against political rivals, and suppressing media freedoms – allegations they deny.
(Reporting by Ivana Sekularac; Editing by Andrea Ricci)
