Serbians chant 'we deserve better' as latest anti-corruption protest adds to pressure on Vucic

NIS, Serbia (AP) — Tens of thousands of radical joined protesting students successful Serbia for a rally connected Saturday against alleged injustice and corruption, galore proclaiming “We merit better.”

University students successful the Balkan state that has been ruled firmly by a populist authorities for implicit a decennary person been holding nationwide protests since the fatal train presumption canopy illness successful November that killed 15 radical and which critics blasted connected government corruption.

The astir regular protests regularly gully tens of thousands of radical and person rattled President Aleksandar Vucic’s steadfast grip connected power. Vucic has described the protests arsenic a Western-orchestrated effort to oust him from power.

“We privation the (state) institutions that enactment successful the involvement of each of america and not to our damage,” the students said successful a statement. “We privation a strategy that values cognition and work, and not obedience and silence.”

Protesters from crossed the state gathered successful Nis, immoderate 200 kilometers (120 miles) southbound of Belgrade, for Saturday's festival-style rally that was expected to past for 18 hours.

Students said the event, during which a decree would beryllium symbolically passed, was “a wakeup telephone to determination from apathy to action, from soundlessness to a noisy conflict for a amended aboriginal ... our pledge ne'er to springiness up!”

With their determination, vigor and creativity, the students person garnered wide enactment among the citizens who mostly person been disillusioned with mainstream politicians and person mislaid anticipation of changes.

Serbia is formally connected the way toward European Union membership, but Vucic and his right-wing Serbian Progressive Party person been accused of stifling antiauthoritarian freedoms and fueling rampant corruption since coming to power.

Residents successful Nis staged a noisy invited for the students connected Friday evening arsenic they marched into the metropolis aft walking for respective days successful groups from assorted directions.

‘This is the spot to beryllium today’

These s tudent marches person go a rallying unit successful Serbia’s agrarian areas, which are traditionally pro-government. Everywhere students showed up radical greeted them with nutrient and refreshments, portion galore cried and kissed them.

“This is the spot to beryllium today. There is nary spot connected world wherever I beryllium much than here," said pensioner Marjan Zivanovic, who came from Belgrade. “Here is love, present is joy, present is everything. Here is the future.”

Previously akin rallies were held successful Novi Sad and successful the cardinal metropolis of Kragujevac.

The Nis rally marks 4 months since the factual canopy astatine the cardinal bid presumption successful the bluish metropolis of Novi Sad collapsed connected Nov. 1.

The presumption gathering had been renovated doubly successful caller years arsenic portion of a wider infrastructure enactment with Chinese authorities companies. Many successful Serbia judge the enactment connected the gathering was sloppy and disregarded operation information rules due to the fact that of wide corruption.