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Tens of thousands of people are expected to gather Saturday in Serbia’s second-largest city, Novi Sad, to commemorate the victims of a train station canopy collapse that killed 16 people a year ago and sparked some of the largest protests in the country in more than a decade.
The Nov. 1, 2024 collapse at the newly renovated station turned into a national trauma and quickly became a symbol of alleged entrenched corruption. The tragedy prompted months of student-led demonstrations demanding accountability, which later evolved into calls for early elections.
Students, who called for the “largest commemorative gathering,” and supporters have been streaming into Novi Sad since Friday, traveling by car, bicycle and on foot. Thousands marched roughly 100 kilometers (62 miles) from Belgrade, while others trekked approximately 340 kilometers (211 miles) from Novi Pazar — a journey that took 16 days.
Residents lined the streets to greet the marchers, waving flags and blowing whistles. Many appeared visibly moved.
“I came to bow to the strongest force in the world right now — our students, our youth,” said Ratko Popovic, 47, from the Novi Sad region, who arrived with his family. He praised the “unity of all the people in Serbia who are against corruption, against crime, against the ruling party.”
“Our conscience is what guides us… to finally bring justice and a better tomorrow to this country,” said Luka Kovacevic, a medical student from Novi Sad.
The protests that followed the collapse led to the resignation of the prime minister, the fall of his government and the formation of a new one.
But President Aleksandar Vucic has remained in office and has regularly described protesters as foreign-backed coup plotters. Members of his ruling SNS party have promoted conspiracy theories claiming the station collapse may have been staged.
In a televised address Friday, Vucic made a rare conciliatory gesture, apologizing for past remarks.
“This applies both to students and to protesters, as well as to others with whom I disagreed. I apologize for that,” he said, calling for dialogue.
Saturday’s memorial rally at the station will begin at 11:52 a.m. (1052 GMT), the exact time of the collapse, with 16 minutes of silence for the 16 victims. The government has declared a national day of mourning. Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Porfirije will lead a mass for the victims at Belgrade’s Saint Sava church.
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Supporters of Vucic, who have camped outside parliament for months in protest of university blockades, said they would gather in front of the church to pay respects.
“On this sad anniversary, we appeal to everyone… to act with restraint, to de-escalate tensions and to avoid violence,” the European Union delegation to Serbia said.
Although largely peaceful, protests turned violent in mid-August in clashes protesters blamed on police and government loyalists.
In September, prosecutors charged 13 people — including former construction minister Goran Vesic — in connection with the collapse. A separate anti-corruption investigation is ongoing alongside an E.U.-backed probe into possible misuse of European funds for the station project.
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