Serbia Marks Anniversary of Tragedy That Ignited Student Protests

Thousands of students and their supporters gathered in Novi Sad, Serbia, on Sunday to mark the second anniversary of a deadly train station disaster that sparked anti-corruption protests. The Nov. 1, 2024, collapse of a concrete canopy at the Novi Sad train station, which killed 16 people, gave rise to a student-led movement that culminated in the recent parliamentary election defeat of President Aleksandar Vučić's right-wing government.

In solemn remembrance, participants marched through Novi Sad in steady rain, laying 16 wreaths and red hearts, one for each victim, outside the station. The names of the victims, including children, were read aloud as people laid flowers and lit candles, observing a moment of silence. Many in Serbia believe the canopy collapse was a result of corruption and negligence during renovation work, a pattern they associate with infrastructure projects championed by Vučić's administration.

The renovation of the Novi Sad station was part of a larger railway reconstruction project involving China and Hungary. Vučić and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had previously toured the station together in 2022.

"It was a murder and a murder demands accountability and justice," a student speaker stated during the commemoration, vowing that Serbia's youth would build a more just society. "We will not forget them (victims)."

Following the election victory of the Students' List party, which defeated Vučić's Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), the movement has called for a review of stalled investigations, including the one into the canopy collapse. Although 13 individuals, including a government minister, were initially charged, no trial has yet taken place.

The European Union's mission in Serbia noted on X that the canopy collapse "shook Serbia to its core and moved citizens across the country to demand transparency and accountability." The mission added, "May their memory keep inspiring a Serbia built on solidarity, public trust and rule of law."

Separately on Sunday, prosecutors ordered the 48-hour detention of Marko Kricak, Vučić's chief of criminal police, along with another senior officer. They are suspected of abuse of office in connection with a murder investigation and were accused of orchestrating violence during student protests, including allegations of threatening a female student with rape, which Kricak has denied.

Vučić's SNS party, which came to power 14 years ago, has been accused of gradually consolidating control over state institutions. The student movement has pledged to restore the rule of law, democracy, and combat widespread corruption.

The concrete structure at the Novi Sad station collapsed unexpectedly at 11:52 a.m. on Nov. 1, 2024, while people were waiting for trains. Fourteen victims died at the scene, with two succumbing to their injuries later, and one young woman sustained life-altering injuries. Initial government statements claimed the canopy had not been renovated, but investigations were promised. Protests began almost immediately, with daily traffic blockades nationwide occurring at the time of the collapse, demanding justice.

Some of the student-organized rallies over the past two years have been among the largest anti-government demonstrations in Serbia's history. This year's anniversary memorial was broadcast by state television, a shift from the previous year when Vučić was in power. Commemorations were also held in other Serbian cities and towns.

An independent investigation by experts concluded that the renovation work was expedited under political pressure, alleging a "systematic degradation of construction standards" and that "the state of Serbia violated its citizens' right to life."