Major demonstrations planned to mark one year since tragic awning collapse at Novi Sad train station

Published on 01/11/2025 - 8:37 GMT+1

Tens of thousands of students and opponents of incumbent Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić are converging successful nan bluish metropolis of Novi Sad to shape a commemorative rally to people 1 twelvemonth since a actual awning collapsed astatine a train position successful nan city, sidesplitting 16 people.

Ahead of nan commemorative rally, momentum has been building successful favour of guidance demands for awesome changes successful nan Balkan country, aft astir a twelvemonth of student-led anti-government protests that person earnestly shaken Vučić and his patient grip connected power.

As thousands of protesters get successful Novi Sad from each complete nan country, Vučić has threatened wide arrests if nan mourners “resorted to violence,” defiantly adding that his supporters are readying “a overmuch bigger” rally successful nan metropolis later successful November.

He has besides tried to downplay nan expected size and value of nan commemorative guidance rally. When asked by a TV newsman to remark connected nan commemoration connected Saturday, Vučić said: “What is happening successful Novi Sad? Is immoderate shot lucifer being played?”

He besides noted that “many will beryllium disappointed owed to excessive expectations from nan rally," adding that “there will beryllium nary alteration of government.”

Most of nan student led-protests person truthful acold been peaceful, pinch sporadic incidents caused by Vučić supporters.

However, tensions are boiling aft a twelvemonth of protests and emotions are high. Riot constabulary person cracked down difficult against nan protesters. Hundreds of Vučić's opponents person been arrested for taking portion successful nan erstwhile anti-government rallies, including astatine slightest 2 immense demonstrations successful nan capital, Belgrade.

People are expected to stitchery successful respective abstracted rallies passim Novi Sad, a maneuver believed to beryllium designed to make it much difficult for constabulary to intervene and apprehension participants than if 1 azygous rally was held astatine a cardinal location.

The catalyst for monthslong protests was nan deadly illness of a railway position awning connected 1 November past year, which resulted successful 16 fatalities.

This incident has been wide attributed to governmental negligence, endemic corruption and shady deals made pinch Chinese building firms, which were progressive successful renewal useful carried retired astatine nan railway station.

They started arsenic sporadic demonstrations seeking solely accountability for nan calamity successful Novi Sad.

They nevertheless quickly evolved into a nationwide activity addressing broader issues, which besides included demands specified arsenic threat elections and awesome antiauthoritarian reforms pursuing nan convulsive crackdowns, garnering wide support crossed nan country.

Vučić astatine first tried to easiness nan unit by sacrificing Prime Minister Miloš Vučević, who resigned successful January on pinch nan remainder of nan government. While a fewer officials were charged complete nan disaster successful Novi Sad, truthful acold nary 1 has been tried, convicted aliases sentenced.

Vučić has since described nan protests arsenic a ploy organised by nan West to oust him from power, alternatively turning to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin arsenic good arsenic China for support, arsenic crackdowns connected wide authorities groups astatine location persisted.

Thousands of group were expected to return nan train from Belgrade to Novi Sad to subordinate nan rally.

On Friday however, nan authorities railway institution announced that each trains betwixt nan 2 cities were terminated indefinitely, owed to an evident explosive threat. The institution has antecedently deployed akin strategies up of different wide protests successful caller months.

The gathering connected Saturday is still expected to tie ample numbers nonetheless, and could easy move into 1 of nan biggest rallies ever successful nan troubled Balkan nation, which has a agelong history of anti-government demonstrations.