After spending a freezing night out in the open, hundreds of striking students resumed their two day anti-graft protest march from the capital, Belgrade, to the northern city of Novi Sad, where they plan to blockade three bridges over the River Danube this weekend.
The bridge blockade is planned for Saturday to mark three months since a huge concrete construction at the railway station collapsed in Novi said on November 1, leaving 15 people dead.
What started two months ago as a protest against suspected corruption in construction contracts has developed into the most serious challenge in years to the country’s powerful populist leader, President Aleksandar Vucic.
A student brushes her hair after waking up at a soccer stadium during a protest over the collapse of a concrete canopy that killed 15 people more than two months ago in Serbia (Armin Durgut/AP)
Along the way to Novi Sad, the students were greeted by cheering citizens, honking their car horns or coming out of their homes with offers of refreshments and food.
When they reached the town of Indjija on Thursday, roughly halfway along their 80-kilometre (50-mile) route, they were welcomed with fireworks and cheers from residents.
Although most of them spent the night out in the open in a soccer field, the freezing temperatures did not dampen their desire for major changes in the corruption-ridden Balkan state.
Nevena Vecerinac, a student, said she hoped the protesters’ demands that include the punishment of all those responsible for the rail station tragedy will be fulfilled.
“We will make it to Novi Sad,” she said. ”Yesterday’s walk was easy. It’s cold now, but we can make it. We all have the same goal.”
Sheep graze as students march through fields in northern Serbia (Armin Durgut/AP)
“We need support from all people. With this energy and mood I hope we can do it, otherwise there will be no brighter future,” said Luka Arsenovic, another student marcher.
Many in Serbia believe that the collapse of the overhang at the train station was essentially caused by government corruption in a large infrastructure project with Chinese state companies.
Critics believe graft led to a sloppy job during the reconstruction of the Novi Sad train station, poor oversight and disrespect of existing safety regulations.
Months-long demonstrations have already forced the resignation of Serbia’s prime minister Milos Vucevic this week, along with various concessions from authorities which were ignored by the protesters who say that is not enough.
Mr Vucic and other officials have shifted from accusing the students of working with foreign powers to oust him, to offering concessions or issuing veiled threats.
An aerial view of students sleeping in their tents on a soccer stadium as they take part in a march in Serbia (Armin Durgut/AP)
Pro-government thugs have repeatedly attacked the students, twice ramming cars into protests.
A female student was beaten with baseball bats this week, suffering a broken jaw.
The strength and determination of the protesters have caught many by surprise in a country where hundreds of thousands of young people have emigrated, looking for opportunities elsewhere.