On Monday, thousands of people gathered in Belgrade to protest plans to turn a former army headquarters, which was destroyed in a NATO bombing, into a luxury complex. The project is being financed by a company owned by Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.
Call to Restore Heritage Status
The protesters are demanding that the building be restored as a heritage site and that the controversial development project be canceled. The Serbian government had approved the project last year, which includes a 99-year lease for the land in central Belgrade.
Anti-Corruption Movement Gains Momentum
This protest is part of a broader anti-corruption movement in Serbia, which gained momentum after a deadly incident in November. A concrete canopy at a train station collapsed, killing 16 people. Many Serbs blamed government corruption and safety violations for the disaster.
Marking Remembrance Day
The protest also coincided with Remembrance Day, which honors the victims of the 1999 NATO bombing campaign. The bombing was part of a U.S.-led effort to stop Serbian forces from targeting ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, and it still remains a painful memory for many Serbs.
