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Tens of Thousands Mark Novi Sad Collapse Anniversary as Mourner Launches Hunger Strike

A victim’s mother begins a hunger strike, underscoring frustration over stalled accountability.

Overview

  • Grieving mother Dijana Hrka began a hunger strike in central Belgrade, saying she will continue until those responsible are held to account.
  • The Novi Sad commemoration proceeded largely peacefully with a 16-minute silence at 11:52 and a government-declared day of mourning.
  • The Interior Ministry reported about 39,000 people at the peak of the gathering, with students and supporters arriving from across Serbia after long marches.
  • Serbia’s rail operator suspended passenger trains nationwide the day before the event citing anonymous bomb threats, and a Hungarian outlet reported some foreign students were denied entry at the border.
  • One year on, the December 2024 indictment of 13 people remains unconfirmed by a court, no suspects are in custody, and domestic and EU-level investigations into the reconstruction continue as President Aleksandar Vučić issued a rare apology and appealed for calm.