Traffic blockades held throughout Serbia against populist government over roof collapse tragedy

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Residents throughout Serbia stopped in silence for 15 minutes on Friday as part of persistent anti-government protests following the collapse last month of a concrete canopy in the country’s north that killed 15 people.

Traffic blockades have taken place each Friday since Nov. 1 at 11:52 a.m., the exact time when the canopy at the railway station building in Novi Sad crashed down on people who were sitting or strolling below on a sunny day.

Initially, 14 people were killed and three were injured, but one more person later died while hospitalized. The two injured remain hospitalized weeks later.

The station building was renovated twice in recent years. Many in Serbia believe rampant corruption led to sloppy work on the building reconstruction, which was part of a wider railroad project with Chinese state companies.

The collapse also has become a flashpoint for broader dissatisfaction with the growingly autocratic rule of populist President Aleksandar Vučić, reflecting public demands for democratic changes.

Thousands of people, led by university students, on Wednesday evening held a noisy rally outside the state RTS television building over the station’s pro-government editorial policies.

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RTS has broadcast Vučić's accusations that students were paid from the West and elsewhere to hold protests to overthrow his government.

Friday’s traffic blockades took place at dozens of locations throughout the country. Some participants held up their hands in red-painted rubber gloves, a symbol of the protests telling the authorities they have “blood on their hands.”

Serbian media reported that a car rammed through protesters at a blockade spot in Novi Sad. A similar incident was reported a week ago when four musicians were injured while participating in a silent traffic blockade in central Belgrade.

Street protests in recent weeks also occasionally turned violent when pro-government thugs showed up to disrupt opposition-led gatherings and student demonstrations.

Classes at more than 50 university faculties and a number of secondary schools throughout Serbia have been suspended for days.

Serbia’s farmers also on Friday blocked a road in central Serbia with their tractors, holding a banner featuring a bloody hand. An actors’ guild announced daily protests outside theaters.

Vučić's government has sought to cushion mounting dissatisfaction by publishing around 130 documents related to the railway station building renovation, which has been one of the protest demands.

Prosecutors have arrested 13 people, but a government minister has been released. This has fueled skepticism over the proceedings as the governing populists hold firm control over both police and the judiciary.

Vučić has imposed a tight grip over all state institutions and mainstream media since coming to power more than a decade ago and despite pledging to lead Serbia into the European Union.