site.btaBelgrade Prepares for Serbia's Largest Anti-Government Protest

Preparations are underway in Belgrade for the biggest anti-government protest in Serbia, which will start at 5 p.m. Eastern European Standard Time on Saturday. The protest has been called at the initiative of students who have been blocking more than 60 faculties since the end of November because of the Novi Sad tragedy.

In November last year, a concrete canopy of a railway station fell in the northern Serbian city, killing 15 people.

"I am just one of the participants, we will be hundreds of thousands, millions. This will be the biggest protest in Serbia's history! Let everyone take to the streets!" a young girl told BTA.

When asked what her name was, her friend replied, "We are just citizens of Serbia!"

Ljubka Petkovic is a teacher and mother of two daughters. She marched to the protest together with them. One of her daughters is carrying a poster on which is written a joking recommendation to the public on how to protect themselves from Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. 

"I am not afraid, I believe the students are smart and will not allow violence. And all together we will build a new society," Petkovic told BTA.

Earlier this week, Serbian government officials and President Aleksandar Vucic accused the organisers of the protest in Belgrade of planning violence on March 15, but the students denied this and clarified that their plans did not include an invasion of any Serbian institution.

On Saturday, the public transport in the Serbian capital was stopped and everyone is moving on foot to the various points in the city, organized by students who constantly post guidelines and recommendations on their official Instagram account.

At every intersection in downtown Belgrade there are police officers who divert cars. Some of the uniformed officers are visibly young. 

For security reasons, the parliament building is locked until 17 March and a metal fence has been erected around it. 

"Since I cannot enter parliament as an MP, I am going to the protest along with the students. Come to a peaceful protest so we can win together!" said opposition Democratic Party Chair Srdjan Milivojevic on the party's social media account. 

Socialist Branko Ruzic announced that he will participate in the protest. Ruzic told the regional television channel En1 Friday that nobody could prevent him from walking around Belgrade.

The Socialist Party of Serbia is a coalition partner of the Serbian Progressive Party in the government headed by Prime Minister Milos Vucevic.

Milos Vucevic resigned from the government on January 28 after a group of protesting students was attacked with baseball bats outside the ruling party's office in Novi Sad. The resignation has not yet been confirmed by the National Assembly and in practice the government enjoys its full powers.   

Serbian students have been organising protests for four months in various major cities in Serbia demanding accountability for the deaths of 15 people in Novi Sad. Through blockades and protests, students are calling for the publication of all documentation on the station renovation to establish whose responsibility the tragedy is, the indictment of the attackers of protesters at previous protests, and an end to the trials of the protesters arrested so far.

The government has announced that all the demands of the protesters have been met, but the students stand by the view that their demands have not been fully met.