Serbia's opposition is locked in a standoff with police as tensions rise over deadly roof collapse

BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbian opposition protesters blocked a court house Tuesday over a deadly roof collapse at a railway station in the country’s north earlier this month, setting off a standoff with riot police in a sign of persistent tensions over the crash.

The roof collapse at the station in the northern city of Novi Sad killed 15 people and injured two.

A group of opposition lawmakers launched Tuesday's blockade, demanding arrests and the release from detention of activist jailed during recent protests over the collapse. Riot police kept pushing the protesters away from the entrance, leading to the hours-long standoff with occasional skirmishes.

Serbia's Justice Ministry condemned what they described as “most brutal form of pressure on the work of prosecutors and judges” and an “unprecedented obstruction of justice.”

Opposition politician Borislav Novakovic said “those who are guilty must go to prison and those who were jailed for seeking justice must be released.”

The blockade is set to last until the end of working hours on Tuesday.

The concrete outer roof on a railway station building in Novi Sad suddenly fell on Nov. 1, crashing on the people sitting on benches or standing below. Initially 14 people died and three were severely injured but one more person died on Sunday.

The fatal incident has triggered a wave of protests against the populist authorities and arrests of several activists who took part. Many in Serbia believe rampant corruption led to sloppy renovation work at the station and consequently to the roof collapse.

The authorities have promised a thorough investigation and Serbia’s construction minister, Goran Vesic resigned. No one has been arrested and no charges have been raised.

The station was originally built in 1964 and renovated twice in recent years as part of a wider agreement with Chinese state construction companies.