Serbia's Largest Protest Challenges Vucic's Leadership
Student-led demonstrations over corruption and governance draw historic crowds, with calls for accountability intensifying following a deadly railway station collapse.
- Between 100,000 and 300,000 demonstrators gathered in Belgrade on Saturday, marking the largest protest in Serbia's history.
- The movement began after a deadly railway station roof collapse in Novi Sad last November, which killed 15 and exposed alleged corruption in government-backed construction projects.
- President Aleksandar Vucic has accused protesters of planning a coup and denied claims of using illegal crowd-control measures, including a sound cannon, during the demonstrations.
- Investigations into corruption tied to the Novi Sad project are ongoing, with over a dozen indictments filed, including against a former construction minister.
- Analysts view the protests as a pivotal moment in Serbia's political landscape, with demonstrators vowing to continue organizing across the country.