Serbian Student March Reaches Novi Sad As Pressure On Vucic Builds

Hundreds of Serbian students arrived on January 31 in Novi Sad at the end of a two-day march from Belgrade to protest against the deadly collapse of a train station roof they say was the result of deep-seated corruption.

They were greeted by tens of thousands of people who lined the streets cheering and applauding as they walked by. Fellow students laid down a red carpet to welcome them at the Duga Bridge, where they exchanged the flags of their universities before walking together toward the train station.

Novi Sad is the Serbian city where the train station roof collapsed on November 1, 2024, killing 15 people and seriously injuring two others.

The marchers set out from Belgrade on January 30 and stopped for the night in the town of Indija after covering just over half of the roughly 75-kilometer trek on the first day.

Along the way, supporters set up food stations and erected banners and signs with slogans urging the demonstrators in their "Steps Toward Justice."

Women knocked down by car at Serbia silent protest over Novi Sad deadly roof collapse

The mood along the route was dampened by reports that in Belgrade on January 31 a car rammed into a silent protest being held in support of the Novi Sad victims. Local media said two women were injured in the third such incident over the past week.

When the students arrived in Novi Sad, they were met by applause, cheers, hugs, and tears from locals, who handed them flowers and placed medals around their necks.

Posters with slogans such as "You are not alone," and "You are love, faith, and hope" welcomed them.

A group of students who cycled from Belgrade had previously arrived in Novi Sad, where they were met by local cyclists in front of the railway station.

The students plan to blockade three bridges in Novi Sad on February 1 to mark exactly three months city since the fatal collapse.

Anger over the collapse has swept across the country, with tens of thousands taking to the streets as part of a movement calling for greater accountability and justice.

The Novi Sad railway station has been renovated twice in recent years by a Chinese-led consortium of four companies. Serbian Railways insisted the renovation didn’t include the concrete overhang that collapsed, but some experts have disputed that, while many people blame corruption and poor construction oversight for the tragedy.

'Steps Toward Justice': Serbian Students Launch Two-Day Protest March

Their main demands are that authorities take more action to determine criminal and political responsibility for the collapse and conduct a thorough investigation into an attack on students who were severely beaten while protesting.

One of the victims, a female student, sustained serious injuries and is recovering in the hospital following head surgery. The attackers have not yet been identified.

The wave of protests that have taken place since the accident has piled pressure on populist Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who faces his biggest challenge since taking office a decade ago.

Vucic said on January 29 that his ruling party will decide in the next 10 days whether it will put forward a new government or call snap parliamentary elections.

Earlier this week Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic and Novi Sad Mayor Milan Djuric resigned under pressure from the protests.

SEE ALSO: At Serbian Protests, 'Generation Vucic' Finds Its Voice

Vucic, whose government has attempted to maintain close ties to traditional ally Russia while also promoting the country's European Union membership hopes, said he was ready to provide an amnesty for all students and professors facing criminal charges following their arrests during the recent protests.

The government claims that the students' demands have been met, but the students don’t agree.

"On a basic level, yes, some demands have been met," said Dimitrije, a student at the University of Belgrade.

"But I don't think they understand the essence of these demands," he told RFE/RL. "The essence is systemic change, not just resignations. So, no, our demands have not yet been met."