Anti-graft protesters march, block bridges in Serbia

NOVI SAD, SERBIA — 

Hundreds of students protesting graft they blasted for 15 deaths successful a gathering illness marched Friday done Serbia to the bluish metropolis of Novi Sad wherever they planned to artifact 3 Danube River bridges this weekend.

They received a hero's invited from chap students and thousands of residents successful Novi Said aft arriving connected ft successful their two-day, 80-kilometer (50-mile) travel from the Serbian superior of Belgrade.

A tiny reddish carpet had been placed connected 1 of the bridges crossed the Danube that the students crossed arsenic they entered the city.

Saturday's span blockade marks 3 months since a immense factual operation astatine the railway presumption collapsed successful Novi Sad connected November 1, leaving 15 radical dead.

Carrying wreaths with the names of the 15 victims, the students from Novi Sad and Belgrade connected Friday evening unneurotic headed toward the presumption gathering to grant the radical who died successful the accident.

Many radical cried erstwhile the students from Belgrade arrived, reflecting precocious emotions implicit the mishap and the continuing conflict for justice.

What started arsenic a protestation of suspected corruption successful operation contracts has developed into the astir superior situation successful years to the country's almighty populist leader, President Aleksandar Vucic.

Meanwhile successful Belgrade, a operator rammed a car into a soundless protestation Friday, injuring 2 women who enactment arsenic doctors astatine a adjacent psychiatric institution. Media reports accidental some deed their heads connected the pavement and are being examined.

The incident, the 3rd of its benignant successful weeks, happened successful downtown Belgrade during 15 minutes of soundlessness observed regular passim Serbia, astatine the aforesaid clip arsenic the canopy collapsed successful Novi Sad.

A witness, Dr. Elena Matkovic, told N1 tv that the operator archetypal reversed his car for a abbreviated distance, and the protesters thought helium would crook around, distant from the blockade, but alternatively helium accelerated forward, slamming into people.

"We truly did not expect that helium would thrust done a assemblage of people," she told N1. "If you are asking maine whether we volition halt (the blockades,) we astir surely volition not. This is not the infinitesimal to stop."

Protesters person repeatedly faced attacks, including connected students, with drivers ramming cars into demonstrations connected 2 erstwhile occasions. Two radical were earnestly injured.

Along the mode to Novi Sad connected Friday, the students were greeted by cheering citizens who honked their car horns oregon came retired of their homes to connection nutrient and drinks.

Hundreds much radical connected bicycles headed separately toward Novi Sad connected Friday portion Belgrade's taxi drivers said they would travel excessively and springiness the marchers a assistance location Sunday.

When the students reached the municipality of Indija connected Thursday, astir halfway on their 80-kilometer (50-mile) route, they were welcomed with fireworks and cheers from residents.

Although astir of them spent the nighttime retired successful the unfastened successful a shot field, the freezing temperatures did not dampen their tendency for large alteration successful the corruption-ridden Balkan state.

Nevena Vecerinac, a student, said she hoped the protesters' demands that see the punishment of each those liable for the obstruction presumption calamity volition beryllium fulfilled.

"We request enactment from each people. With this vigor and mood, I anticipation we tin bash it, different determination volition beryllium nary brighter future," said Luka Arsenovic, different pupil marcher.

Many successful Serbia judge that the illness of the overhang astatine the bid presumption was fundamentally caused by authorities corruption successful a ample infrastructure task with Chinese authorities companies. Critics judge graft led to a sloppy occupation during the reconstruction of the Novi Sad bid station, mediocre oversight and disrespect of existing information regulations.

Monthslong demonstrations person already forced the resignation of Serbia's Prime Minister Milos Vucevic this week, on with assorted concessions from authorities that were ignored by the protesters who accidental that is not enough.

Vucic and different officials person shifted from accusing the students of moving with overseas powers to oust him from power, to offering concessions to the students portion issuing veiled threats against them saying that his supporters' "patience is moving out."

He said Friday that "it is wide that the state is nether onslaught some from the extracurricular and from the inside."

"We volition cognize however to fight, we volition beryllium flexible, we volition question speech and dialog (with the protesters), but we volition cognize however to prevention the country," helium said.

The spot and determination of the protesters person caught galore by astonishment successful a state wherever hundreds of thousands of young radical person emigrated, looking for opportunities elsewhere.