Students march silently through Belgrade, commemorating the 16 victims of the Novi Sad railway station collapse [Image by DW]
(The Post News)– Tens of thousands of protesters flooded Serbia’s streets on Monday, demanding that President Aleksandar Vucic’s government be held accountable for the 16 deaths resulting from last year’s roof collapse at a train station in Novi Sad.
The November 2024 collapse of a recently reconstructed canopy at Novi Sad railway station killed 16 and left dozens injured. The tragedy quickly became a byword for state corruption and failure of responsibility. The majority of Serbs blamed shoddy construction techniques and politically well-connected builders for the tragedy.
Demonstrators, opposition activists, and civic campaigners have maintained the protests for 10 months, translating sorrow into movement against Vučić’s populism. On Monday, thousands of high school and university students silently marched in Belgrade, holding white roses to commemorate victims. Sixteen students marched in one group as organizers announced the names of the dead. “Ten months is a long time, and nothing changed,” Lazar, an 18-year-old Belgrade student, said. “No one has been punished.”
Silent Marches, Loud Demands in Serbia
The Belgrade demonstration began at night outside a former railway station and spread onto Savski Trg square. Demonstrators carried no banners or chanted no slogans but conveyed a powerful message by being silent and symbolic. “We remember the tragedy, we demand responsibility, and we fight for a better country. We don’t look away. Together until the end,” student organizers captioned on Instagram.
There were also protests in Novi Sad, Kragujevac, and Aleksinac. In Novi Sad, riot police beat up peaceful demonstrators and injured many people, according to local media. Protesters accused authorities of once more responding with excessive force.
President Vucic has refused to bring the election forward despite a universal demand for it. Instead, he reshuffled his cabinet and labeled the protesters as “terrorists” who are out to win him over. He has also launched verbal assaults on intellectual supporters of the protests. More than 100 professors and teachers lost their jobs after showing solidarity with the students. The authorities quickly replaced them with loyalists, antagonizing intellectuals further and fueling charges of political repression.
“Corruption is the root of all evil in our country. Elections are the solution,” Srdjan, a 35-year-old scientist and attendee of the Belgrade march, said.
The opposition parties, civil society groups, and anti-graft watchdogs accuse Vucic and his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) of suppressing free media, shielding officials with ties to organized crime, and brutally beating opponents. The government decries the accusations as “foreign-provoked” protests.
Protest Movement Gains Momentum
There have been approximately 23,000 protest demonstrations of varying sizes since the campaign began a year ago, based on police figures. The largest have drawn hundreds of thousands of demonstrators, which are the largest protests since Slobodan Milošević was ousted in 2000.
In August, riot police collided with protesters in Belgrade by means of batons and pepper spray, injuring dozens. Protesters were seen being beaten by police officers in videos online. Activists were stated to have been beaten at police stations by protesters. While authorities did not acknowledge the allegation, photographs caused an international outcry. Since then, organizers have concentrated on peaceful marches. The silent procession on Monday demonstrated their approach of discipline and symbolism to continue putting pressure on Vucic.
The protests coincided with Vucic’s trip to China, where he attended a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the presidents of Belarus and Iran. His failure to attend one of the largest protests also enraged his critics, who blamed him for turning a blind eye to unrest at home while courting authoritarian allies abroad.
The timing, analysts comment, only serves to highlight Serbia’s growing political fault lines. Whereas Vučić aligns Serbia with Russia and China, most young protesters demand a movement towards greater openness, more democracy, and a closer relationship with the European Union.
Even after 10 months of goading, Vucic has still not budged towards holding early elections. But the student protests continue, an unprecedented test for his 10-year rule. As it gains momentum, Serbia stands at the crossroads: democratic responsibility through change or continued slide towards authoritarianism.
For Anabela Arsenovic, a university student who was marching in Belgrade, the battle is not yet won. “There are months still ahead of us, but I hope it will be finished with elections. This is our future, and we cannot give up.” As night fell over Belgrade, demonstrators placed roses on the old railway station before dispersing peacefully. The silent march had come to an end, but the movement is still too slow to slow down.
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