From the streets of Belgrade in Serbia to those of Skopje in North Macedonia, a slogan echoes throughout the Balkans: “corruption kills”, chanted by students outraged by the deaths of dozens of people in accidents believed to have been caused by corrupt systems, AFP reported on Tuesday, according to Agerpres..
In Serbia, the first demonstrations erupted in November after the collapse of a concrete roof at the country’s second largest city, Novi Sad, which had just been renovated.
Sixteen people, including two children, died.Soon, part of the country blamed the disaster on corruption, as the train station had just been reconstructed at significant costs, based on opaque contracts.
“Everyone is corrupt”
All over Serbia, a drawing depicting a hand the color of blood has appeared on banners, badges and walls, becoming the symbol of the protest that is shaking the country harder than ever since the 1990s and led by the students.
In March, the red hand also appeared in North Macedonia after the dramatic fire at a nightclub which claimed 59 lives in Kocani. According to the initial investigation, the club was operating with a fraudulently obtained authorization, and the unauthorized pyrotechnic devices set fire to the overcrowded hall’s ceiling. At least 600 people had come for a concert by a popular hip-hop group, while the club could only host 250.
On Monday evening, thousands of people demonstrated in the capital Skopje.
“Girls my age died,” lamented 20-year-old Ema Peseva among the banners denouncing “Corruption kills” and the protesters shouting “killers”, “total change”.
“Everyone is corrupt. They fill their pockets and pay for trips, yachts, private schools… and meanwhile, children die in a fire at a concert,” she accused.For Milena Janevska, 26 years old and one of the organizers of the demonstration, the conclusion is simple: “We demand accountability for the tragedy in Kocani. We demand the truth from all institutions.” Sofia Todorovic, director of the Serbian branch of the Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR), welcomed the fact that young people have taken the lead in the protests, while many believed that the current generation is “passive, absorbed by the internet and their phones”.
“Young people show much more discernment and wisdom than previous generations,” she stated, “they really feel that they have a role to play, that their voices count, it’s crucial for the future of the region.”
“Serbian students are a true source of inspiration for all those in the region who are dissatisfied with the magnitude of corruption – which, as we have seen, can be deadly,” added Aleksandar Popov, president of the Serbian think-tank Center for Regionalism.
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