Lejla Biogradlija
10 January 2025•Update: 10 January 2025
BELGRADE, Serbia
Thousands of Serbian students on Friday blocked major intersections and roads in the capital Belgrade for an hour to protest government investigations into the November train station incident that killed 15 people.
The students gathered in front of the Palace of Justice in the capital city before marching to a key intersection to express their displeasure with the investigation into the incident on Nov. 1, 2024, when a concrete canopy collapsed at a Novi Sad train station, killing 15 people and injuring two more.
They carried signs reading: "Students have risen; students won't be silent" and "Your hands are bloody."
The demonstrators were frustrated not only by the investigation but also by the lack of action taken in response to previous alleged attacks on protestors.
The Belgrade protest was mirrored in other cities, including Novi Sad, Nis, and Sabac, where students observed a 15-minute moment of silence to remember the victims.
The movement, dubbed "Stop Serbia," vows to continue protesting until justice is served.
Following the Novi Sad incident, Minister for Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure Goran Vesic and Internal and External Trade Minister Tomislav Momirovic resigned.
Eleven people, including Vesic, were detained after a prosecutor's investigation revealed possible negligence during train station renovations in 2021.
However, protests grew into a nationwide movement, with students skipping classes to demand accountability.
The boycott quickly spread to educational institutions across the country.
*Writing by Merve Berker
