Skirmishes erupt between Serbian police and opposition over deadly roof collapse
Demonstrators sought to block a courthouse in Novi Sad after claims corruption had led to poor renovation work at the station, where 15 people died.
Skirmishes have erupted for a second day in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad between police and opposition protesters demanding arrests over a deadly roof collapse at the city’s railway station earlier this month.
Anti-government protesters sought to block a courthouse in Novi Sad, where the roof collapse at the station on November 1 killed 15 people and injured two others. Riot police pushed the protesters away from the building.
A similar opposition action on Tuesday resulted in an hours-long stand-off, in a sign of mounting tensions over the roof crash.
The collapse in Novi Sad has triggered a wave of protests against the populist authorities and arrests of several activists who took part.
Serbia’s Interior Minister Ivica Dacic warned protesters in a statement that police “won’t tolerate disruption of public law and order, threats to the security of the country and state institutions, as well as attacks on police”.
Separately, police detained two activists in Belgrade who were protesting against plans to demolish a Second World War-era bridge that carries trams as well as vehicle traffic over the Sava river between the new and old parts of the city.
Authorities plan to build a new bridge in its place, a process that will take at least three years.
Opposition activists say the existing bridge should be preserved and that the process of awarding contracts for the building work lacks transparency.
A group of opposition legislators managed to enter the court building in Novi Sad on Wednesday while police pushed away others who were standing outside.
The huge concrete outer roof of the railway station building suddenly crashed on November 1, falling on people sitting on benches or standing below. Initially, 14 people died and three were severely injured, but one of the injured people died on Sunday.
The authorities have promised a thorough investigation and Serbia’s construction minister, Goran Vesic, resigned. Populist President Aleksandar Vucic has said more resignations will follow.
No-one has been arrested, however, and no charges have been brought, though prosecutors said dozens of people have been questioned as part of the probe.
The station was originally built in 1964 and was renovated twice in recent years as part of a wider agreement with Chinese state construction companies.
