Tens of thousands of people gathered today in Belgrade protesting against the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vuçiq and his government.

The protest, organized by students and farmers' unions, is part of a wider movement demanding accountability for the collapse of the railway station roof in Novi Sad that killed 15 on November 1.

The protest began with 15 minutes of silence in honor of the victims and was followed by chants of "You have bloody hands". Smaller rallies were also held in Nis and Kragujevac.

Many in Serbia blame the disaster on widespread corruption and poor workmanship at the railway station building, which was renovated twice in recent years as part of dubious projects involving Chinese state-owned companies.

Protesters demand that Vuçiq and those responsible for the collapse of the roof, to face justice. So far authorities have arrested 13 people over the incident in Novi Sad, including a minister who was later released, adding to public distrust of the investigation process.

The protests of the last few weeks have challenged it Vuçiq, whose opponents accuse him of increasingly autocratic rule. The Serbian leader is officially seeking EU membership, but has faced accusations of violating democratic freedoms and maintains close ties to Russia and China.

Vuçiq initially accused the students of starting the protests, saying they were being paid by the West, while later claiming to have met their demands, including the release of documentation on the renovation of the train station in Novi Sad.

Serbia's president today inaugurated part of a newly built highway in central Serbia, where he said he would not give in to opposition demands for a transitional government and accused opponents of using students to take power without elections.

The opposition says a transitional government would prepare free and fair elections, and could be a way out of political tensions.

In an effort to prevent protests, the Government of Serbia has extended the winter school holidays by starting them almost a week earlier. In recent days, more high school students have joined the movement.

Classes at universities in Serbia have been suspended for weeks with students staying inside faculty buildings. Occasional violence has permeated the protests as pro-government groups have attempted to disrupt the protests.

A group of farmers said today that the police took away the tractor of one of their leaders before the protest. In addition to the farmers, Serbia's students have also received nationwide support from all walks of life including their professors, media personalities, lawyers and prominent individuals.