Hundreds of thousands of people flooded the capital of Serbia on Saturday to protest after the deaths of 15 people from the collapse of a railway station.
Although the government of Belgrade claimed that the participation was 107,000 across the city, an independent monitor, according to the BBC, stated that 325,000 – if not more – had gathered, making it the largest protest ever in Serbia.
On the other hand, students from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts at the University of Belgrade, who helped organize the protest, said that the participation reached 800,000 people.
Saturday’s gathering, the largest expression of public discontent in Serbia in decades, was preceded by a wave of warnings from President Vučić and his extensive media apparatus, claiming that protesters were planning violent attacks to provoke a “civil war” and seize power.
Since the collapse of the Novi Sad station in November of last year, anger toward the government and President Aleksandar Vučić has been steadily growing.
Protesters have pointed to massive government corruption as the cause of the loss of lives. According to them, the disaster reflects more than a decade of governance by Vučić’s Progressive Party – which was closely involved in the recent renovation of the station.
According to the New York Times, the Trump administration “shows no signs of distancing itself from Vučić.” The prestigious American outlet mentioned the recent meeting between Vučić and Donald Trump Jr., the son of the U.S. President.
According to The Times, the head of the Belgrade government was “encouraged by the dismantling of USAID by President Trump,” who last month ordered raids on the offices of non-governmental organizations in Belgrade, which he has blamed for stirring discontent.
