Two Serbian ministers have stepped down, and authorities have arrested over a dozen individuals following a catastrophic train station disaster that critics attribute to corruption and a lack of transparency in infrastructure projects.
Radomir Lazović, a member of the opposition Green–Left Front party, claimed that tensions escalated during a parliamentary session when he presented a sticker featuring a bloody handprint to government ministers. Lazović alleged that Health Minister Zlatibor Lončar reacted by “attacking” him, which triggered a “general fight.”
“We attempted to de-escalate the situation, but they kept attacking us—both the police and members of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party [SNS],” Lazović stated.
Footage recorded by local media shows chaotic scenes of MPs shouting, shoving, slapping, and throwing water at one another while parliamentary security officers tried to intervene. Lazović reported that several MPs sustained injuries during the brawl.
Parliamentary Speaker Ana Brnabić struggled to restore order, urging MPs to return to their seats. “This is a disgrace for this institution,” Brnabić remarked before cutting the audio feed of the live parliamentary broadcast.
The turmoil highlights widespread public outrage over the train station disaster in Serbia. Thousands of demonstrators, some with their hands painted red, have taken to the streets to demand accountability, with protests occasionally erupting into clashes with police forces.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić responded to the protests by condemning the demonstrators as “thugs.” He also vowed to hold those responsible for the building’s collapse accountable.
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