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Saturday, Jan 18, 2025
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Car Rammed into Protest Crowd in Serbia, Leaving One Injured
Protests intensify following the Novi Sad canopy collapse as public demands accountability
A university student was seriously injured on Thursday in Belgrade, Serbia, after a driver ploughed through a crowd of anti-government protesters.
The incident occurred amid ongoing student-led protests calling for accountability following a deadly structural collapse.
Police have detained the driver and charged him with attempted murder.
The protests, which began after a concrete canopy at a railway station in Novi Sad collapsed in November, killing 15 people, have seen students and protesters gathering across Serbia to express discontent.
The canopy had been renovated multiple times in recent years, leading to public outcry over potential corruption and substandard construction work as part of a wider railroad initiative involving Chinese state companies.
The injured woman was thrown onto the roof of the vehicle and sustained head injuries.
She was immediately taken to a hospital and was described as being in a stable condition.
The protest at which she was injured is just one of many since blockades commenced on November 1, occurring daily at 11:52 a.m., the precise moment of the canopy's collapse.
Tensions have been high in Serbia, where residents participate in frequent silent 15-minute standstills alongside the traffic blockades.
Public dissent is directed at those deemed responsible for the collapse and the current leadership under President Aleksandar Vucic.
Protesters have condemned the administration, claiming an increase in autocratic governance.
The protests have drawn accusations from President Vucic, who alleges foreign influence in what he describes as efforts to forcefully remove him from office.
In light of the injury, hundreds of university students assembled spontaneously in Belgrade, chanting against perceived oppressive governmental conduct: 'Killers' and 'You will not be allowed to run us over'.
While several confrontations have been reported since the protests began, this is the first incident resulting in serious injury, marking an escalation in the fraught tensions between the Serbian populace and the government.
The discontent reflects wider unrest and demands for democratic changes in the face of allegedly autocratic rule.
The incident occurred amid ongoing student-led protests calling for accountability following a deadly structural collapse.
Police have detained the driver and charged him with attempted murder.
The protests, which began after a concrete canopy at a railway station in Novi Sad collapsed in November, killing 15 people, have seen students and protesters gathering across Serbia to express discontent.
The canopy had been renovated multiple times in recent years, leading to public outcry over potential corruption and substandard construction work as part of a wider railroad initiative involving Chinese state companies.
The injured woman was thrown onto the roof of the vehicle and sustained head injuries.
She was immediately taken to a hospital and was described as being in a stable condition.
The protest at which she was injured is just one of many since blockades commenced on November 1, occurring daily at 11:52 a.m., the precise moment of the canopy's collapse.
Tensions have been high in Serbia, where residents participate in frequent silent 15-minute standstills alongside the traffic blockades.
Public dissent is directed at those deemed responsible for the collapse and the current leadership under President Aleksandar Vucic.
Protesters have condemned the administration, claiming an increase in autocratic governance.
The protests have drawn accusations from President Vucic, who alleges foreign influence in what he describes as efforts to forcefully remove him from office.
In light of the injury, hundreds of university students assembled spontaneously in Belgrade, chanting against perceived oppressive governmental conduct: 'Killers' and 'You will not be allowed to run us over'.
While several confrontations have been reported since the protests began, this is the first incident resulting in serious injury, marking an escalation in the fraught tensions between the Serbian populace and the government.
The discontent reflects wider unrest and demands for democratic changes in the face of allegedly autocratic rule.
