Serbian student protests intensify amid corruption claims
In Serbia, mass student protests continue, with the students accusing the authorities of corruption and negligence. In response, President Aleksandar Vucic organised a rally of his supporters.
On Saturday in Kragujevac, a central city in Serbia, another in the series of student protests took place. Tens of thousands of people gathered to express their displeasure with the government's actions. At the same time, President Aleksandar Vucic organised a rally in Sremska Mitrovica, where he promised to fight against the "colour revolution."
The demonstration in Kragujevac was part of Serbia's Statehood Day celebrations, commemorating the first Serbian uprising in 1804 and the adoption of the first constitution in 1835. Protesters, including students who came from different parts of the country, blocked the city centre. The demonstrations began after a construction disaster at the train station in Novi Sad, where 15 people were killed. Protesters accuse the authorities of corruption and negligence.
President Vucic's rally
Students are demanding the disclosure of contracts related to the station's renovation, punishment for those responsible for attacks on demonstrators, and an increase in higher education spending by 20 per cent. The government assures that it has fulfilled or will fulfil these demands, but the protesters claim that none of them have been fully realised.
In Sremska Mitrovica, President Vucic gathered several thousand of his supporters. According to Serbian media, some participants were brought in by coaches from various regions of Serbia and from the Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The president warned that the protests are an attempt at a "colour revolution" supported by foreign entities, aimed at destroying Serbia.
