Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Serbia Marks Novi Sad Station Collapse With Mass Rally as Protesters Demand Accountability

One year on, 13 defendants face charges with no prison sentences, fueling calls for early elections.

Overview

  • Tens of thousands gathered in Novi Sad for a silent commemoration, observing 16 minutes of silence at 11:52 and laying wreaths and candles at the station.
  • Student-led groups arrived after long marches across Serbia, with some walking hundreds of kilometers as authorities curtailed train service to the city.
  • President Aleksandar Vucic issued a televised apology and attended a religious service in Belgrade, and the government declared a day of mourning, but student organizers rejected his outreach.
  • Prosecutors have pursued cases against 13 people over the renovation and collapse, including former ministers cited by local reports, as separate probes examine possible corruption and funding irregularities.
  • Protesters continue to allege systemic graft tied to state infrastructure projects, including China-linked contracts, while rights groups note hundreds detained and EU officials frame the movement as a test of Serbia’s democratic trajectory.