Thousands of protesters hold up their mobile phones to light up the night sky in memory of those who died in the Novi Sad roof disaster, as they take part in one of the largest anti-corruption demonstrations, in Belgrade on March 15, 2025. Photo by Andrej ISAKOVIC / AFP
Belgrade: Nearly 3,000 intellectuals, including Nobel prize-winning author Annie Ernaux, had by Friday signed an international petition in support of Serbian students who have been protesting nationwide for months against corruption.
The national student-led movement, which is shaking the Balkan nation in a way unseen since the 1990s, was sparked by the collapse last year of a roof at the newly renovated train station in Novi Sad, which killed 15 people.
The petition -- whose signatories include French economist Thomas Piketty and German sociologist Wolfgang Streeck -- says the accident on November 1 was a "disaster that epitomises the consequences of systemic corruption, institutional failure and lack of accountability".
The collapse triggered a protest movement that has spread to near-daily demonstrations by Serbs who see the disaster as a reflection of corruption that, in their view, taints daily life, institutions and public works.
The protesters want those responsible be held accountable, arrested demonstrators be released and the system be rendered less corrupt.
On Saturday, between 100,000 and 300,000 people are estimated to have taken part in a mass rally in Belgrade, the biggest in Serbian history.
The largely peaceful demonstration was disrupted after an unknown noise caused a brief panic in some areas.
Some protesters and members of the political opposition allege the authorities used an acoustic cannon -- a military device used to disperse crowds -- a charge the government has denied.
"We express our deepest concern over the violent incidents during the student-led protests in Belgrade, where peaceful demonstrators, including students and professors, were exposed to non-lethal weapons, resulting in injuries and severe distress," the petition said.
It urged the Serbian authorities to conduct an "immediate and transparent investigation".
The petition is the latest in a series of international appeals.
The Council of Europe said it was "very concerned about the escalation of tensions in the country".
Mary Lawlor, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights defenders, called for a thorough investigation after "disturbing news about the alleged use of a vortex cannon against protesters" during the Belgrade demonstration.
