In the city of Nis, Serbia, the skies were ablaze with fireworks and flares on Friday as a throng of protesting university students descended upon the city in anticipation of a large-scale rally scheduled for the weekend. This rally is part of a significant anti-corruption movement challenging Serbia’s populist government.
The protests, which have been spearheaded by university students, began after a tragic incident in November when a train station canopy collapsed, resulting in the deaths of 15 people. Critics attribute this disaster to widespread government corruption. These demonstrations, occurring almost daily since November, have attracted tens of thousands of participants, marking the largest protests in years, and posing a challenge to President Aleksandar Vucic’s strong hold on power.
Vucic has insisted that the protests are part of a scheme orchestrated by Western powers to topple him. On Friday, he claimed, “Serbia has been attacked,” and pledged that there would be no revolution in Serbia, dismissing it as a “colored revolution” attempt.
In the city of Nis, approximately 200 kilometers south of Belgrade, thousands came to welcome the students who had traveled there on foot over several days, departing from various towns across the country. “I feel fabulous although we walked for 30 kilometers (18 miles) today and another 30 kilometers uphill yesterday,” said Nikola Djurdjanovic from Knjazevac.
Predrag Savic from Svrljig in southern Serbia expressed hope for change. These student-led protests have served as a unifying force in Serbia’s rural regions, which are traditionally supportive of the government. The arrival of students is met with hospitality as they are offered food and refreshments, with many locals expressing gratitude and support through tears and hugs.
The rally in Nis on Saturday will coincide with the four-month anniversary of the lethal collapse of the canopy at the Novi Sad train station, which fell abruptly on Nov. 1 upon unsuspecting pedestrians and passengers. The rally is anticipated to last 18 hours, drawing tens of thousands from throughout Serbia. Similar demonstrations have previously occurred in Novi Sad and Kragujevac.
The train station building in Novi Sad had undergone two rounds of renovation in recent years as part of a broader infrastructure project involving Chinese state companies. Many locals suspect that the construction work was subpar and flouted safety regulations, pointing to pervasive corruption as the cause.
