Hundreds of students protested on Wednesday in Serbia’s capital Belgrade demanding that the authorities take responsibility for the collapse of a train station roof that killed 15 people last month.
Belgrade University students who have been blocking their faculties for more than a month brought a major traffic intersection to a standstill for 15 minutes, then held a short protest outside the Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The students shouted and waved envelopes containing messages to the chief prosecutor, chanting: “Fulfil the demands.”
“We urge you to responsibly and professionally address the students’ demands and join our fight for a better and more dignified Serbia by beginning to exercise your constitutional and legal duties,” stated the letters left at the entrance to the office.
The government has faced seven weeks of nationwide demonstrations following the deaths in the northern city of Novi Sad, with many protesters accusing authorities of corruption and inadequate oversight.
Fourteen people, aged between six and 74, were killed on November 1 when the roof collapsed following major renovation works at the station.
A 15th victim died in hospital weeks later.
In a bid to calm the protests, the authorities over past weeks promised various subsidies for young people.
Students continued to protest, however, and almost all faculties at state universities across the country remain blockaded.
Their protest last Sunday was regarded as one of the largest in recent years, with the police estimating some 29,000 took part.
But an NGO specialising in counting attendees at public gatherings claim there were at least three times as many people.
