Demonstrator throws a flare towards riot police during a protest over an accident at a railway station in the Serbian city of Novi Sad, for which they blame negligence and corruption by the authorities, in front of the city hall of Novi Sad, Serbia November 5, 2024. —MARKO DJURICA/REUTERS
NOVI SAD, Serbia — Thousands of Serbian opposition backers rallied on Tuesday in the northwestern city of Novi Sad in a violent protest over a deadly accident at a local railway station, for which they blame negligence and corruption by the government.
The disaster happened on Friday when roofing along the entrance to the station suddenly collapsed, killing 14 people and severely injuring three.
Police used pepper spray to disperse the crowd, after protesters broke windows at the entrance of the 19th-century city hall in the city center, threw flares and firecrackers inside and spilled liquid manure from a cistern.
Earlier, masked demonstrators hurled eggs, bottles and bricks at an office of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS).
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