Thousands protest in Serbia to mark three months since deadly roof collapse

An anticorruption movement has been erupted in Serbia as tens of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets to mark the three-month anniversary of the fatal collapse of a train station canopy.

On Saturday, thousands of people marched through the city’s three main bridges, waving flags and signs, and blocking roads.

“There is no turning back, no fear, and we will not give up”, Jelena Vuksanovic, a philosophy student, told the AFP news agency.

Since the roof cave-in that killed 15 people on November 1 led to the rise of university students who are now leading the protest movement have blocked campuses across the nation.

Many in Serbia believe that a sizable infrastructure project with Chinese state companies was the result of government corruption, but the situation has grown to symbolize a wider conflict over the rule of law in Serbia.

These demonstrations were peaceful and student-led, according to the statement. While covering the ongoing protests, Al Jazeera’s Sonia Gallego remarked, “But they have united people across the political divide.”

“People have come from all across the country. They have walked, cycled to Novi Sad in a show of strength”.

The demonstrations have put increasing pressure on the government, spurring the resignation of several high-ranking officials, including that of Prime Minister Milos Vucevic.

Following a 24-hour blockade at a major traffic intersection in Belgrade, Vucevic resigned on Tuesday. Schools and small businesses across the nation were shut down in the wake of a general strike days earlier.