Minute of silence derailed: Never mind the dead

 

Serbia
Violent protests after the accident in Serbia
The Prime Minister: "You don't care about the dead"

Linnea Blomberg

Published 2024-11-05 22.09

Foto: Marko Drobnjakovic / AP

Photo: Marko Drobnjakovic / AP

Violent protests have erupted in Serbia's Novi Sad on Tuesday night following the train station accident last Friday.

Thousands are reported to have participated in the demonstrations which resulted in tumult.

"You have shown that you do not care about the dead," writes the country's Prime Minister Milos Vucevic on X.

Fourteen people were killed and three seriously injured when the concrete roof of a train station in Novi Sad, Serbia, collapsed during rush hour on Friday.

One of the victims was a six-year-old child.

Rescue mission after the accident. Photo: Interior Ministry Of Serbia / AP

Now people are demanding answers from the authorities about how the accident could have happened. On Tuesday evening, a demonstration train marched from the train station to the State House. According to Reuters, thousands of people attended.

After a minute's silence, the situation derailed. Photo: Marko Drobnjakovic/AP

It all began quietly with a minute's silence where photos of the dead were held up at the same time. But after the train reached its final destination at the state house, the situation quickly derailed, writes Balkan Insight.

Some protesters started throwing stones at windows and threw red paint on the building, despite a heavy police presence.

Photo: Marko Drobnjakovic / AP

The Prime Minister: "You don't care about the dead"

Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic has reacted strongly after the incident.

"The town hall is a symbol of the city and its freedom. It's not about the building, but about what it represents for the people of Novi Sad," writes Vucevic on X along with images from the protests.

Photo: Marko Drobnjakovic / AP

Furthermore, the Prime Minister writes:

“You have shown that you do not care about the dead, about the pain of their families, about the truth, about determining the responsibility of the guilty. You are only interested in coming to power through violence. There is nothing sacred to you, neither human nor symbolic.”

On Monday, Goran Vesic, Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, announced his resignation.