Serbian students block classes to protest roof collapse deaths
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Students hold banners as they block the road for fifteen minutes to pay their respect for fifteen victims of a fatal roof collapse at Novi Sad's railway station, in Belgrade, Serbia, December 6, 2024. The banners read: "Injustice our resistance" and "TMF
BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serbian university students blocked entry to some classes at dozens of state-run faculties across the country on Friday and boycotted others, demanding the prosecution of those responsible for the deadly collapse of a train station roof which has sparked a series of protests.
The concrete awning of the recently renovated roof caved in on Nov. 1 in Novi Sad, killing 14 and injuring three. One of those hurt later died of their injuries.
Opposition leaders and the public have taken to the streets repeatedly, blaming the accident on government corruption and nepotism that resulted in shoddy construction.
The ruling coalition denies those charges, and President Aleksandar Vucic said those responsible must be held to account.
On Friday, students at the Belgrade University's Faculty for Technology and Metallurgy joined their colleagues in Nis, Kragujevac and Novi Sad and launched blockade of classes.
Earlier this week, classes and all activities were halted and the Faculty of Chemistry in Belgrade. Nova S web site reported on Friday that a total of 29 faculties in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Nis and Kragujevac were idle, meaning there were no lectures and no tests.
Hundreds of Faculty of Law students and citizens also blocked traffic in Belgrade city centre on Friday for 15 minutes for a silent commemoration of the victims and to demand that those responsible face justice.
Some held banners with pictures President Vucic with his hands up, reading: 'corruption, you have blood on your hands'.
Traffic was also blocked for 15 minutes across Serbia and on several other locations in Belgrade.
On Thursday Vucic in an Instagram post called for the blockades to stop and said "they (blockades) are always sign of weakness and disrespect for own people and own country."
(Reporting by Ivana Sekularac; Editing by Toby Chopra)
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