Protesters hold a noisy demonstration against Serbia’s populist leadership

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Hundreds of protesters led by university students on Thursday held a noisy rally outside Serbia’s state television headquarters despite the country’s president pledging to fulfil all their demands as he faced one of the most challenging threats to his populist rule.

The demonstration is part of wider protests that erupted after the fall of a concrete canopy in the northern city of Novi Sad last month, killing 15 people.

Blowing whistles, booing and jeering, the protesters said they are angry the state RTS television is carrying President Aleksandar Vucic’s accusations that the students were paid from the West and elsewhere to hold protests to overthrow his government.

The protesters brought sacks allegedly holding bundles of money in front of the downtown RTS station in the country’s capital, Belgrade. The station has been accused of spreading the nationalist pro-government narrative for years.

Classes at more than 40 university faculties throughout Serbia have been suspended for days.

Many in Serbia blame the deadly collapse on rampant corruption in the country that led to sloppy renovation work on the station building in Novi Sad — part of a wider deal with Chinese state companies involved in a number of infrastructure projects in the Balkan country.

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The canopy collapse has became a flashpoint for broader dissatisfaction with the president’s growingly autocratic rule, reflecting public demands for democratic changes. Almost daily protests have been held since Nov. 1 in Novi Sad, Belgrade and other cities, which sometimes turned violent.

Vucic announced at a news conference on Wednesday evening that documentation regarding the renovation of the Novi Sad railway building would be made public, as students have requested.

Prosecutors have launched an investigation and detained 13 people. But a government minister has been released, fueling widespread speculation over the probe as ruling populists also control both police and the judiciary.

As Vucic spoke on Wednesday, hundreds of students also blew whistles and horns outside the presidency building, which could be heard in the live coverage of the address.

The students on Thursday said they also want the thugs who attacked peaceful protesters arrested.

“We came to give back the money,” one of the students told the crowd as they symbolically left improvised money bags outside the television building. “You can hand them (bags) to the president and tell him that we want a public apology.”