Serbians march on Belgrade, demand snap polls

In commemoration of last year’s Novi Sad railway station tragedy, tens of thousands of Serbians marched to the capital yesterday to call for a snap election.

The protest began at around 7 PM in front of the old railway station in Belgrade. As part of the demonstration, 16 high school students marched through Savski Trg Square, each carrying a white rose and reading aloud the names of the victims, symbolically recreating the Novi Sad tragedy.

A 35-year-old protester said the problem can only be solved through immediate political change.

"Corruption is the root of all problems in our society. Elections can be the only solution for this situation," the protester said.

Protests also broke out in other towns, including Novi Sad, Kragujevac, and Aleksinac.

The incident, which killed 16 people, has been tied to alleged government corruption, with critics pointing to the poorly built station roof said to be part of a Chinese-funded project.

Earlier, on 13 August, a nationwide protest organized by anti-administration parties erupted into clashes with supporters of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), leaving 16 police officers and 60 government supporters injured. Opposition groups are calling for an early election to end the 13-year rule of President Aleksandar Vučić.