Citizens Support Mother of Canopy Collapse Victim on Hunger Strike in Front of Parliament as Cacilend Dwellers Sunbathe

Dijana Hrka (BETAPHOTO/Nikola Todorović)

On Nov. 16 citizens continued to assemble around the tent near the Serbian parliament where Dijana Hrka has been on a hunger strike for 15 consecutive days, in a show of support for her demands for the truth about the death of her son Stefan and 15 more people in the Novi Sad railway station canopy collapse last year.

A banner reading, "The strength of a mother moves mountains" hung outside the tent, along with a large Serbian flag, BETA's reporter said. Some of Hrka's supporters stood in front of a metal fence which prevents Hrka from getting closer to the parliament building, jeering at the police officers on the other side.

Some of the questions lobbed at the police were if they knew whom they were protecting in the encampment of regime followers in front of parliament, known informally as Cacilend, how they were not ashamed, and what they told their children when they returned home from work. The police officers present were in regular uniforms and were not sporting additional equipment used for demonstrations.

A large number of Cacilend dwellers could be seen comfortably ensconced in chairs in front of their tents, enjoying the sunshine and unseasonably warm weather. Traffic was stopped in the area where Hrka is on her hunger strike because of the number of her supporters assembled there.