site.btaStudents Set Off on Foot from Belgrade to Mark Anniversary of Novi Sad Railway Station Accident

Around 4,000 students set off on a protest march from Belgrade to mark a commemorative event to be held on November 1, a year after the collapse of the canopy of the train station in Novi Sad, which left 16 people dead. According to an Instagram post by the students, other groups of citizens set off on foot Thursday from Cacak, Kraljevo, Gornji Milanovac, Uzice, Subotica, Vrsac, Bogatic, Sabac, Valjevo and Kragujevac, among other towns, en route to the northern Serbian city.

The students gathered in the Novi Beograd neighbourhood, in front of the Faculty of Dramatic Arts building. This was the first faculty to announce a blockade at the end of November 2024, after supporters of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party attacked students who were paying tribute to those killed in Novi Sad. 

Anti-government protests and faculty blockades began in Serbia in November last year, following the collapse of the recently renovated railway station roof in Novi Sad. Protesters believe that corruption and negligence led to the tragedy. Their initial demands for a transparent investigation into the tragedy and criminal prosecutions have evolved into calls for early elections. The ongoing protests, led by students, have mostly been peaceful, but there have been clashes between law enforcement and protesters over the summer, with protesters accusing the police of brutality and excessive use of force.