Thousands of young people in Serbia embarked on a two-day march from Belgrade on Thursday, aiming to join a major rally in the country's north this weekend that will mark the anniversary of a deadly train station disaster. 

The protesters stopped in Indjija, a small town between Belgrade and Novi Sad, to rest and sleep.

Local officials barred protesters from sleeping in schools, leaving many to sleep on the streets.

“These young people and students and high school students here helped around organizing everything. But at the same time I am very sad that our local city council here failed to secure a place for these students to sleep tonight,” said Jovana Radic, a local student from Indjija.

The concrete canopy collapse at the central train station in Novi Sad killed 16 people on Nov. 1.

It unleashed a youth-led protest movement against autocratic President Aleksandar Vucic.

Protesters believe the victims died because government corruption led to sloppy renovation work at the station.

They have been demanding accountability for the disaster, and an early parliamentary election that they hope will oust Vucic's populist government from power. 

Flag-waving university students on Thursday led the huge column of marchers setting off on the 90-kilometer (58-mile) journey toward Novi Sad.

Saturday's gathering is expected to draw tens of thousands of people, piling pressure on Vucic.  

Various other groups of university students also have been trekking across Serbia for two weeks before they all converge in Novi Sad on Saturday.

Belgrade residents came out of their houses on Thursday to greet the protesters as they passed by.

People honked their car horns, waved or blew whistles. Some cried.

Authorities have detained scores of university students and other protesters in the past months.

Police have been accused of brutality toward protesters, including beatings and arbitrary detentions. 

While 13 people have been charged in the disaster, no trial date has been set.

Doubts prevail that proceedings would untangle an alleged top-level corruption web that critics believe led to the fatal negligence and disregard of construction safety rules during the station building renovation.  

Vucic has labelled student-protesters as Western-backed “terrorists,” while the governing Serbian Progressive Party organized counter rallies.

AP video by Eldar Emric

Production by Amer Cohadzic