Serbian students' blockade protest over Novi Sad railway station incident ends

BELGRADE

Thousands of students blocked traffic at Autokomanda, one of Belgrade's busiest intersections, for 24 hours to protest the Serbian government's failure to prosecute those responsible for the collapse of a concrete canopy at the main railway station in the northern city of Novi Sad in November.

Thousands of university, college, and high school students began their roadblock protest at 10:00 a.m. local time on Monday and peacefully dispersed 24 hours later on Tuesday.

According to local media reports, a group of students was attacked during the protests in Novi Sad, and one university student was seriously injured.

Earlier on Monday, Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic, Prime Minister Milos Vucevic, and Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic, at a joint press conference, called for students to engage in dialogue.

Vucic, noting that 90 days had passed since the Novi Sad train crash, said, "We waited for the prosecutor's office to dismiss some of the criminal charges as there is reasonable suspicion they committed crimes. If there is no other option, I am willing to sign a pardon for those who request it, in accordance with the law. I'll complete this by Wednesday at the latest."

On Nov. 1, a concrete shed collapsed at Novi Sad's train station, killing 15 people and injuring two.

Following the incident, prosecutors announced the detention of 11 people, including Goran Vesic, the former construction minister.

Vesic stepped down on Nov. 5 in response to public outrage, and Foreign Trade Minister Tomislav Momirovic did the same.

Authorities have questioned at least 40 people over allegations of negligence during station repairs in 2021.

The incident sparked widespread protests, which turned into a national movement, with students skipping classes to demand accountability.