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Protesters are demanding the resignation of the Serbian leader and mayor of the city of Novi Sad over the deadly crash that killed 15 people.
Tens of thousands of Serbs gathered in the capital Belgrade to protest President Aleksandar Vucic and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), whom they blame for last month's train station roof collapse that killed 15 people.
The rally, one of the largest in recent years, was called on Sunday by students and farmers' unions and took place in Belgrade's Slavia Square.
It began with a 15-minute silence in honor of Asc many people killed after the concrete visor of the recently renovated roof of Novi Sad station collapsed on 1 November.
Fourteen people aged between six and 74 were killed that day, and a 15th victim died in hospital weeks later.
Prosecutors arrested 13 people over the incident, including a government minister whose release later led to public skepticism about the integrity of the investigation.
Opposition leaders and the public repeatedly took to the streets, blaming the incident on shoddy construction as a result of government corruption and nepotism. The ruling coalition denies the allegations and Vucic said those responsible must be held accountable.
Protesters on Sunday evening turned on the lights of their mobile phones and shouted “Vucic, thief!” Others held up banners reading “We're all under cover” and “You've got blood on your hands.”
“We came here to say 'Stop' to everything that has been happening since 2012. (when Vucic's party took power),” said Alexa, 30, an IT expert from Novi Sad. “We want to see an end to corruption and nepotism.”
Many are demanding that the leader of Serbia, as well as the mayor of Novi Sad, resign, and that those found guilty be prosecuted. They also called for an end to legal proceedings against demonstrators and for the prosecution of those who attacked the protesters.
Popular theater and film actors in Serbia joined the protest, with actor Bane Trifunovic describing Sunday's rally as a “festival of freedom”.
Smaller rallies were also held in the cities of Nis and Kragujevac.
In an attempt to calm the protests, the authorities in recent weeks have promised various subsidies for young people. Students – and other citizens who support them – continue to protest, saying their demands have only been partially met.
Despite ongoing demonstrations, Vucic on Sunday inaugurated a section of a newly built highway in central Serbia.
Vucic said he would not give in to opposition demands for a transitional government and accused his opponents of using students to try to seize power.
“We will beat them again,” he said. “They (the opposition) don't know what to do except use someone's children.
The weeks-long protests took place amid general dissatisfaction with Vucic's rule. He said he wanted to admit Serbia to the European Union, but faced accusations that he was curtailing democratic freedoms rather than promoting them.
