Thousands of Serbian citizens gathered in more than 30 cities for another protest aimed at putting pressure on President Aleksandar Vučić to call early elections.

Serbia has been rocked by student protests since 16 people died in November last year when the roof of a railway station in Novi Sad collapsed.

“We want elections,” chanted students in Belgrade as they marched. Protesters also blocked the Gazela and Branko bridges, which are key to the capital. This caused kilometer-long traffic jams in other parts of Belgrade.

“More than 30 cities in Serbia stopped today to send a message to the government that this cannot continue,” said Nikola, a music student.

“We waited six months and got nothing. It's time to show that this is not just about Belgrade or the students - it's about the whole of Serbia,” he added.

In Novi Sad, where the protest movement began, students marched to the train station where the collapse occurred, demanding that the authorities “take responsibility.”

Powerful chants of “We want elections” were heard in all towns.

Rallies were announced today in Novi Sad, Niš, Kragujevac, Novi Pazar, Aleksinac, Bela Palanka, Bor, Čačak, Jagodina, Kikinda, Kosovska Mitrovica, Kraljevo, Kruševac, Leskovac, Loznica, Pančevo, Pirot, Priboj, Prokuplje, Ruma, Senta, Sombor, Sremska Mitrovica, Subotica, Surdulica, Šabac, Užice, Valjevo, Vlasotince, Vršac, and Zrenjanin.

One of the slogans of today's protests was “Decentralization is charging.” The aim is to show how the whole of Serbia is united against the Vučić regime and that the voices of smaller towns are being heard.

For months, protesters have been calling for the prosecution of individuals, some of them linked to Vučić's ruling party (SPS), who attacked demonstrators, as well as the dropping of charges against arrested students and an investigation into the alleged use of a sound cannon during the largest rally in March.

According to an April survey by CRTA (Center for Research, Transparency, and Accountability), a non-governmental organization, 59% of citizens support the protests, a figure disputed by the authorities. | BGNES