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Mass protests have rocked Serbia for months as protesters demand justice and accountability after the deaths of 15 people in the collapse of a railway station.
Tens of thousands of college students have been marching for nearly three months demanding those responsible for the calamity be held accountable and prosecuted accordingly. The canopy at the railway station collapsed Nov. 1 after renovations led by two Chinese companies.
A general strike was called last week, with many calling off work as people blocked major streets in Belgrade and occupied university campuses in solidarity with the young protesters.
“I’ve worked in the Balkans for 30 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this,” Tanya Domi, professor at Columbia University’s Harriman Institute, told Fox News Digital.
Students across the country are saying this is their fight, not the unpopular political opposition, leading to a greater show of force among the population.
“After 13 years of one individual dominating Serbian politics and 13 years of very important governmental institutions failing to do their job, the key message of these protests is that we expect these institutions to do their job well,” Ivanov said.
Security forces began suppressing the protests, which further exacerbated tensions and motivated more people to join the protests.

Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic resigned Tuesday amid growing protests that swept the nation over the collapse of a train canopy that killed 15 people. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
Ivana Stradner, research fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital the Trump administration should not fall for Serbian President Vucic’s usual tricks of trying to balance between the U.S. and its adversaries.
“Vucic has allowed China’s weapons and investments to thrive in Serbia. Serbia’s close ties to Iran and Russia are also undermining America’s interests. His domestic propaganda portrays the U.S. as an enemy. With friends like Vucic, Washington does not need enemies,” Stradner warned.