Serbian students, unions join forces to pressure government

BELGRADE: Thousands took part in May Day rallies in Serbia on Thursday where unions united for the first time behind student groups to increase pressure on the government over a train station disaster that has sparked six months of mass demonstrations.

The main rallies were held in Belgrade and the northern city of Novi Sad where the collapse of a renovated railway station on November 1 killed 16 people and set off the anti-corruption campaign that has already brought down the government.

Crowds converged on the main government building in Belgrade, some waving Serbian flags and others colours of their unions. The Belgrade gathering drew about 18,000 people, according to an independent monitor.

“I have followed what the students are doing since the start and I support them. It is important for students and workers to work together and fight for a better future,” economist Milica Petrovic, 46, told AFP. Thousands also gathered at the train station in Novi Sad. Holding heart-shaped balloons bearing the names of the victims, they unveiled a plaque commemorating the dead.