00:00University students are staging a 24-hour blockade in the Serbian capital of Belgrade
00:07in protest against a deadly canopy collapse that killed 15 people in November.
00:14Protesters have demanded political accountability over the accident,
00:19blaming corruption and mismanagement for the poor reconstruction of the canopy.
00:24The students converged on the auto-commander junction,
00:27which connects intersecting roads leading from the centre of the city to suburban areas.
00:33In a press conference on Monday afternoon,
00:35Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic urged dialogue with the students,
00:40who have so far refused to speak to him,
00:42claiming the unrest is negatively impacting the country.
00:46Everything that is happening is reflected in our view and position in the world.
00:51Any kind of crisis, political crisis,
00:58makes a serious problem in the country's economic development.
01:03The government has taken steps to address some of the students' demands,
01:08including declassifying certain documents related to the Novi Sad collapse,
01:13which occurred shortly after the station was renovated by Chinese state companies.
01:18Vucic has also said he is willing to pardon protesters who want to avoid criminal prosecution,
01:24adding that the public prosecutor's office has initiated criminal proceedings against 37 people
01:30after cars rammed into protesting students on two separate occasions.
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