Thousands stream into Belgrade square to protest against populist Serbian president

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Tens of thousands streamed into a central square in Serbia's capital on Sunday for a big rally against populist President Aleksandar Vucic and his government, whose tight grip on power has been challenged by weeks of street protests led by university students.

The rally at Belgrade's Slavija Square, one of the largest in recent years, was called by students and farmer unions. It was part of a wider movement demanding accountability over the Nov. 1 collapse of a canopy at a railway station in the country's north that killed 15 people.

Smaller rallies were also held in the cities of Nis and Kragujevac. The rally in Belgrade started with a 15-minute silence for the victims, and later chants of “You have blood on your hands!” were heard.

Many in Serbia blame the collapse on widespread corruption and sloppy work on the railway station building in the city of Novi Sad that was twice renovated in recent years as part of questionable mega projects involving Chinese state companies. Protesters demand that Vucic and those responsible face justice.

Serbia's popular theater and movie actors joined the protest, with actor Bane Trifunovic describing Sunday’s rally as “a festival of freedom.”

In a show of confidence, the Serbian president on Sunday inaugurated a section of a newly built highway in central Serbia. Vucic said he wouldn't budge to opposition demands for a transitional government and accused his opponents of using students to try to seize power.

“We will beat them again,” said Vucic.“They (the opposition) don't know what to do but to use someone's children.”

Prosecutors have arrested 13 people over the Novi Sad tragedy, including a government minister whose release later fueled public skepticism about the honesty of the investigation.

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