‘Grief united us’: Serbian students step up anti-corruption crusade

NOVI SAD, Serbia: Wrapped in blankets and huddled around fires at makeshift camps, Serbian students braved subzero temperatures in Novi Sad as they spent the night outside after a mass rally against corruption brought tens of thousands to the streets.

“It´s cold, but we´ve gotten used to it. We´ve been sleeping at the university for over two months,” Andrea Laco, a student at the Faculty of Technology in Novi Sad, told AFP.

“Grief united us, and we´re here to fight for justice,” she added. After walking for two days from Belgrade, demonstrators converged on Novi Sad ahead of a rally on Saturday to mark three months since a train station roof in the city collapsed and killed 15 people.

The station had recently been renovated and the disaster brought to the surface long-standing anger in Serbia over corruption and the alleged lack of oversight in construction projects backed by the government.

The deaths sparked the largest protest movement the Balkan country has seen in decades, with students taking a leading role.

Protests have been held almost daily across the country -- piling increasing pressure on the government. The prime minister and other high ranking officials, including Novi Sad´s mayor, have resigned.

Despite occasional attacks on protesters by alleged pro-government hooligans, the atmosphere has remained joyous at demonstrations -- attracting the young and old alike along with academics, farmers, bikers and pensioners.