Mass protests in Belgrade as anger builds over station deaths

CGTN Europe

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to take to the streets of Serbia this weekend, to protest against the government.  There's been public anger over the deaths of 15 people, killed when a train station roof collapsed in November with many blaming government corruption. CGTN's Aljoša Milenković reports.  Read this piece in full 👇 https://tinyurl.com/yy4phvdk

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00:00Thousands of students from the University of Novi Sad arrived in Belgrade on Friday evening.

00:05They walked for two days in defiance of calls from the authorities not to come to the Belgrade protests.

00:12Thousands of locals greeted them.

00:15Police monitored their arrival amid fears the weekend protests could turn violent.

00:21However, students say they're planning peaceful protests.

00:27These were and they still are peaceful protests.

00:31We are not calling for any violence. We never have and we are not afraid.

00:41Some Serbian political leaders, including President Aleksandar Vucic,

00:44claim that the students' protests are a smokescreen for a so-called colored revolution,

00:50an attempt to overthrow the government.

00:54They warn any violence will be swiftly crushed.

00:58It is only our people who will decide about that who will govern the country through democratic elections

01:05and not crowd in the streets and definitely not extremist political groups

01:10who are ready to use violence to advance their political cause.

01:15But the tensions are present, particularly in Belgrade city center where many citizens joined students.

01:22Building behind me is a Serbian parliament and right across the street is presidency,

01:29place where Serbian president resides.

01:32In front of that building his supporters erected a makeshift camp few days ago.

01:38Hundreds of tractors were placed around that camp on Thursday evening

01:42to reduce the contact between the two opposing sides.

01:45Riot police are also on hand hoping to prevent any contact between the two groups.

01:51But that doesn't always work.

01:53Protesters deflated most of the tractor tires.

01:57And this man yelled at the police accusing them of defending the government.

02:02Meanwhile this girl is demanding an apology from government supporters in the camp.

02:08Protest organizers say they are expecting a quarter of a million demonstrators on Saturday evening

02:15while the authorities have disputed that figure.

02:18The protestors demand people to remember the victim of the train station tragedy

02:23and get answers to why it happened.

02:27Aljoša Milenković, CGTN, Belgrade.

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