In Belgrade on Friday, tens of thousands of anti-government protesters gathered in front of the state television RTS building, observing a 15-minute silence to honor the victims of a railway station collapse attributed to Serbian authorities.
Organized by students from Belgrade State University, the protest called for accountability in the roof collapse incident that resulted in the deaths of over a dozen people.
Among the protesters were twin brothers Lazar and Luka Stojakovic, students at the Faculty of Organisational Science. Despite being labeled as protest leaders funded by Croatia's secret service in a pro-government daily, they remained steadfast and continued their activism.
Luka Stojakovic highlighted corruption as a pervasive issue in Serbian society, linking it to the tragic incident: "Corruption has permeated every level of our society, leading to the roof collapse and loss of 15 lives."
Lazar Stojakovic emphasized the lack of a structured decision-making system in Serbia, stating, "The absence of a proper system results in one person making all decisions."
The students hold the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), led by President Aleksandar Vucic, responsible for corruption and favoritism, allegations that Vucic and the party reject.
Protests have disrupted classes at state universities in Belgrade, Kragujevac, and Nis, with students demanding the disclosure of all documents related to the station's renovation and the prosecution of those accountable for the tragedy.
To honor the victims, the students stage daily protests in front of their faculties, creating traffic blockades for 15 minutes. The collapse of the recently renovated roof at Novi Sad station on Nov. 1 resulted in 14 deaths and three injuries, with one of the injured individuals passing away later.