Justice for victims of the railway station collapse
Accountability for government negligence
Resignation of Goran Vesić and several other senior state officials[1]
Students' goals:
Publishing of all documents related to the reconstruction of the Novi Sad railway station
Confirmation from the authorities on the identity of all individuals for whom there is reasonable suspicion of physically assaulting students and professors, as well as initiating criminal proceedings against them
Dismissal of all public officials who assaulted students and professors
The dismissal of criminal charges against arrested and detained students at protests, as well as the termination of already initiated criminal proceedings
An increase in the budget for higher education by 20 percent
In November 2024, a series of mass protests began in Novi Sad following the railway station canopy collapse in the city, which left 15 people dead and two severely injured. As of 2 February 2025[update], the protests have spread to 200 cities and towns in Serbia[41] and are ongoing. The protest are being led by university students who demand accountability for the canopy collapse.[42]
Blockades of educational facilities initially started on 22 November at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts after students were attacked during a silent tribute to the victims of the 1 November incident. After the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, other faculties and high schools soon followed. In addition to other demonstrations, protesters held the weekly "Stop, Serbia" (Serbian: Застани, Србијо, Zastani, Srbijo) traffic blockades, conducted from 11:52 am, the time when the canopy collapsed in Novi Sad, to 12:07 pm, in order to symbolically mark the 15 lives lost in the disaster. Some have declared the protests to be "the biggest student-led movement in Europe since 1968". [43]
On 1 November 2024, the canopy of the Novi Sad railway station collapsed, killing 15 people and leaving two others with non-critical injuries. The collapse led to widespread public concern in Serbia, with many questioning the structural integrity and maintenance oversight of public infrastructure. Authorities launched an investigation into the causes of the incident, but public frustration grew due to lack of accountability in the response.[44]
Protests
November
Early protests primarily took the form of quiet vigils for victims of the collapse.[45] However, these protests began to morph into larger and angrier demonstrations, with demonstrators accusing police and local authorities of negligence and corruption. Protesters began demanding a transparent investigation into the collapse, and the release of documents related to the incident. The Associated Press suggested that the collapse has also served as a flash point for expressions of dissatisfaction with the Serbian government as a whole.[45]
The President Aleksandar Vučić, Minister of Construction Goran Vesić and the pro-government news outlets initially claimed the canopy was never reconstructed, even though news articles and videos about the reconstruction were still available online, showing Vesić officially opening the reconstructed Novi Sad Railway Station.[46][47][48][49] Faced with accusations and public outrage, Vesić announced his resignation, but stated that "he does not feel responsible".[50]
Some initial demonstrations escalated into acts of vandalism, with the Novi Sad City Hall being a primary target.[51] Red paint was thrown on the city hall entrance and attempts were made to breach the building.[52][53][54] Law enforcement responded with tear gas and arrests, further inflaming tensions. Protesters suggested that these and other violent demonstrations were the result of government plants seeking to derail the protests.
On 20 November, current Minister of Trade and former Minister of Construction Tomislav Momirović resigned from the ministerial function. In his resignation letter, he pledged his "eternal loyalty to president Vučić".[55]
On 21 November, Vladimir Đukanović, a high-ranking member of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), commented on the protests on his Twitter account: "We must fight against anarcho-terrorists, fake commie intellectuals, the pseudo-elite that is ravaging Serbia with anti-Serbian attitudes. It is time to stop this social scum. In every place and at every step. First of all, in every discussion, and God forbid, if necessary, with force. This scum will no longer be able to terrorize this country. Long live Serbia and just fight bravely".[56] On the same day, former Minister Vesić was arrested along with 11 unspecified persons[57], but was let go after six days, and kept his party rank within the SNS.[58]
On 22 November, students and professors of the Faculty of Dramatic Arts gathered in the immediate vicinity of the Faculty to pay homage to the fatalities in Novi Sad. The meeting was announced to the authorities in accordance with the law. At the gathering both the students and the professors were attacked by an organized group.[59] Some members of the group were allegedly high-ranking officials of the ruling party SNS.[59] After the attack on 25 November, the students began an occupation of the faculty in protest. The Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad, joined by the Faculty of Philosophy, the Faculty of Philology, the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade, followed shortly after.[60]
One of the November demonstrations in Novi Sad drew 20,000 protesters, making it the largest protest in the city in decades.[61] Demonstrators held weekly 15-minute traffic blockade protests on Fridays at 11:52 am, the time of the collapse.[62] Cars, some of whose occupants are allegedly affiliated with the SNS, struck protesters during these blockades.[63][64]
On 22 November, the students and citizens of Leskovac, in southern Serbia, organized a protest. It started with 15 minutes of silence in honor of the victims of the canopy collapse, and was attended by the mayor of Leskovac, Goran Cvetanović, himself a member of SNS.[65] However, the mayor later retracted his support, calling the protesters "students with bad grades" and sharing their school grades with the public, in violation of the Serbian data protection law.[66]
In late November, an audio recording was leaked to the press, allegedly with the voice of Damir Zobenica, a high-ranking official of the ruling party, advising other party members to insult and attack the protesters blocking the roads. Zobenica resigned soon after the leak.[67][68]
December
On 1 December, a silent march was held in Novi Sad to commemorate one month since the collapse.[69] On the same day, President Aleksandar Vučić publicly said that those who ask for the arrest of the car driver who hit the protesters are "out of their minds", because "the driver was just going on his way".[70][71]
Campuses in Belgrade blocked by students, left to right: School of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Philosophy, and Faculty of Fine Arts.
By early December, Serbian students had begun organizing 24-hour blockades at some school campuses.[64] By mid-December, more than 50 university campuses (including the three biggest universities of Belgrade, Novi Sad and Niš) and multiple secondary schools had suspended classes due to student protests.[63]
On 5 December, the Bar Association of Serbia announced that the lawyers will organize a one-day strike on 11 December because of "systematic and long-term interference by the executive branch in the work of the judiciary branch and violation of the principle of separation of powers in a democratic society."[72][better source needed]
On 6 December, during a 15-minute blockade in downtown Belgrade, a car drove through the crowd, injuring four members of the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra who were protesting.[73] The Orchestra condemned the attack and the driver was arrested.[74]
On 11 December, students demonstrated at the headquarters of the public television station RTS, for their broadcasting of President Aleksandar Vučić's claims that demonstrators are being funded by Western countries who seek to destabilize Serbia.[75][63][76] The same day, Vučić made concessions including promising that all prosecutorial documents related to the disaster would be publicized, announced that all currently held protesters were released, and pledged to pardon any protesters if they were convicted at trial. While the concessions marked the first time since Vučić's rise to power in 2012 that any concessions were made to protesters, they did not include the protest's calls for his resignation.[77]
On 12 December, in Čačak, students of the Faculty of Technical Sciences and the Agronomic Faculty organized a protest, which began with 15 minutes of silence.[78]
On 13 December, farmers in central Serbia blocked the Ibar Highway with tractors.[63][79] That same day, in Novi Sad, a group of four hooligans tried to ram their Porsche Cayenne vehicle into the protesters and afterwards physically attacked them.[80][81] The attackers were later arrested; it turned out that one of the attackers was an active duty police officer.[82]
On 15 December, in a TV interview, prime minister Miloš Vučević said that "you can't bring down a country because of 15 people who died, nor 155, nor 1,555".[83][84] Due to overwhelmingly negative reactions, Vučević later apologized.[citation needed]
On 17 December, high school students in Mladenovac commemorated the victims of the canopy collapse with 15 minutes of silence.[85]
On 19 December 2024, commenting on the involvement of high school students in the protests, Vladimir Đukanović, a high-ranking official of the SNS, stated that "children are property of the state until they reach the age of majority".[86] The statement caused great controversy,[87] with the Commisioner for the Protection of Equality, Brankica Janković, describing it as "utterly unfounded, dangerous, and condemnable".[88] Đukanović defended his statement by claiming it was "metaphorical" and "taken out of context".[89]
On 20 December, the silent protest was extended by one minute to commemorate a victim from the Zagreb school stabbing in Croatia.[90]
In response to police brutality and alleged paid hooligans who attacked civilians and protesters, opposition leaders, students, farmers and independent demonstrators organized a large-scale protest on 22 December, at Slavija Square in Belgrade.[91] The estimated attendance was between 100,000 and 102,000 people, which marks the biggest protest in Belgrade and Serbia by attendance in recorded history.[92]
On 24 December, in an interview, Vučić stated that "if [he] wished so, [he] could send out the Cobras special forces on the students and they would throw them around in 6–7 seconds".[93][94] This statement was widely ridiculed, and caused the students to make memes, making fun of Vučić and his phrase "throwing around" ("razbacati"). It is worth noting that Cobras are not in charge of crowd dispersals.[95]
On 25 December, people brought 1,000 letters to the office of the public prosecutor Zagorka Dolovac [sr] urging her to "start doing her job".[96] That same day, employees of the Serbian intelligence agency BIA paid an unofficial visit to the mother of one of the student organizers, at her workplace. She interpreted this move as a "threat and pressure".[97] Other organizers allegedly received telephone calls inviting them to come to BIA offices "for a friendly chat", but no official summons were handed.[98] In the evening, over 2,000 people protested in Užice, in front of the city hall.[99] The local authority, run by SNS, turned off the street lights in front of the hall, but the protesters brought a portable power generator.[100]
On 27 December, protesters blocked the road in Ivanjica. An incident occurred when a driver drove his automobile in full speed through the gathered crowd. Once his vehicle stopped, the gathered protesters attacked him, however, he was immediately protected by undercover police standing nearby and allowed to leave the area without legal repercussions.[101] That same day, 200 employees of RTS signed a petition in support of the protests.[102]
On 29 December, Vučić publicly accused eight Croatian students from FER, who were visiting their fellow students in Belgrade, of organizing the protests on behalf of the Croatian intelligence agency SOA. The names of the Croatian students were published without their consent in the pro-government media and, upon leaving Serbia, they were given alcoholic beverages with a note to "send their regards to SOA" by the Serbian border police.[103][104] Croatian Prime minister Andrej Plenković described Vučić's claim as "laughable".[105]
On 31 December, Vučić announced the formation of a "loyalist faction" within the SNS, whose "17,000 members swore a blood oath in secrecy", who are "pro-Russian oriented" and are "a bit too extreme for [his] taste". He also revealed that his brother is among the members.[106][107][unreliable source?][108] This statement caused a lot of debate: according to some analysts, it is directed not towards the protesters, but towards the more reluctant members of SNS,[109] whereas others expressed doubt that Vučić can gather 17,000 loyal activists.[110] A group of citizens signed a petition demanding an official police investigation into the existence of "loyalists".[111]
Similar to the 1996–1997 Serbian protests, silent protests in Belgrade and Novi Sad were held on New Year's Eve, but this time from 11:52 pm to 00:07 am. According to some estimations, between 17,000 and 18,000 attended in Belgrade, while between 4,600 and 6,000 attended in Novi Sad.[112]
January
On 2 January, the 15 minutes of silence were extended to 29: an additional 12 for the people killed in 2025 Cetinje shootings in Montenegro on 31 December, and two for the victims killed in Arilje on 1 January.[113] The action was repeated on 3 January in Novi Sad at the blockade of the Varadin Bridge and in other cities.[114]
On 3 January, a student protest was held in Aleksandrovac, the largest one in the town's history. The students were joined by other citizens, including some of their professors.[115] On the same day, after a round of negotiations with education workers' unions, prime minister Vučević stated that all education workers who decide to strike will be fired and replaced.[116] This statement caused widespread negative reactions among education workers, who characterized the statement as "arrogant" and "insulting".[117]
The government tabloid Večernje Novosti published pictures of Croatian passports showing the names and personal data of two student protesters, claiming they are "Croatian spies" sent to "destabilize Serbia". It turned out that the students in question come from Croatian Serbrefugee families and hold dual citizenship of both Serbia and Croatia. The students announced they will sue the tabloid, due to breach of the Serbian data protection law, and the public widely condemned the article.[118]
On 6 January, high-school students in Požarevac organized a protest, which began with 15 minutes of silence.[119]
On 10 January, protesters in Belgrade gathered in front of the Palace of Justice, and afterwards blocked the ring road in downtown Belgrade. Protests were also held in Novi Sad, Niš, Zrenjanin and Kikinda.[120]
On 11 January, protesters gathered in front of the offices of BIA in Novi Sad, inviting the BIA employees over "for a friendly chat". The building was heavily guarded by police.[121] A large protest was simultaneously organized in Kragujevac by local high-school students, joined by medical workers.[122][123] During the night, students of technical faculties in Belgrade reported that the unknown persons entered the campus despite the blockade and started threatening them.[124]
On 12 January, around 20,000 students and citizens gathered in front of the Constitutional Court of Serbia in Belgrade, demanding the prosecution of those responsible for the canopy collapse and expressing their support to the school workers' union which announced a possible general strike. The protest began with 15 minutes of silence.[124][125] At the same time, students in Niš organized a protest in front of the Rectorate of the University of Niš. They put up a banner saying "Work stoppage due to protest" on the second floor of the Rectorate building.[126]
On 13 January, late in the evening, unknown persons physically attacked the students blocking the Belgrade Faculty of Law, including one female student. In total, six students were injured. The police intervened and one of the attackers was arrested.[127][128]
On 14 January, the largest education workers' union (NSPRS) announced a one-day general strike, displeased with the government policy towards teachers and professors. The union representatives officially expressed their support for students and announced they will join the protests.[129] On the same day, the workers union of Elektroprivreda Srbije, Serbia's state-owned power company, announced a general strike, as well.[130] In downtown Belgrade, thousands of students marched in a rally, expressing their support for the assaulted law students and the general strike.[131][better source needed]
On 16 January, during a 15-minute blockade in downtown Belgrade, a dark blue Ford Focus vehicle drove through the protesting students, carrying one female student on the car roof for several meters without stopping.[132][133] The injured student was taken to hospital and the driver was arrested and charged with attempted murder.[134][better source needed][135] This incident caused a widespread outrage: later during the day, thousands rallied in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Zrenjanin, Kragujevac and Kraljevo, whereas in Niš, some of the faculty professors joined the student blockade.[136][137][138][139] In response to the protests in Kraljevo, the mayor of Kraljevo, Predrag Terzić, member of the SNS, compared the protestors with World War TwoCroatian fascists and published their names without their consent.[140][141]
On 16 January, in Čačak, hooligans stormed the family home of a religious teacher who was also a union representative, threatening him into voting against the general strike. Earlier during the day, the teacher had a meeting with the mayor Milun Todorović, where he was asked to vote against the strike.[142][143] This caused an outrage throughout Čačak and next day, thousands gathered in support of the teacher.[144][145]
On 17 January, opposition members of the Novi Sad city assembly took over control of the Novi Sad city hall, but were soon forced out by the police in riot gear.[146] Later during the day, an older man carrying a pocket knife tried to attack the students protesting in front of the Medical Faculty in Novi Sad, but the students took the knife away from him.[147] On the same day, protesters gathered in Vranje, where the names of 15 victims of the canopy collapse were read out loud.[148]
RTS employees publicly express their support for students, during the protest on 17 January.
On the evening of 17 January, students and citizens organized a massive protest in front of RTS building in Belgrade, dissatisfied with the way RTS covered the protests, once comparing the protesters symbol with that of Hamas.[149] Tens of thousands gathered and the protest began with 15 minutes of silence. Afterwards, the students paraded with a giant Cobra doll, parodying Vučić's earlier statements about Cobra special forces, and with a giant sandwich intended for the CEO of RTS, parodying the cliché of SNS supporters being paid with sandwiches.[150] The protesters played the audio recording of their demands:
the publication of the entire documentation on the reconstruction of the Railway Station,
the dismissal of the charges against the arrested and detained students, activists and citizens at the previous protests regarding the tragedy in Novi Sad,
the filing of criminal charges against all attackers of students, professors and citizens,
an increase in the budget for faculties for 20 percent.[151]
The workers of the RTS gathered on the balcony and showed the banners saying "RTS employees support the students" and "You cannot run us over", referencing the vehicular attacks on the protestors.[152]
On 18 January, the Bar Association of Serbia announced a 7-day general strike, commencing on 20 January. During that period, the lawyers will not attend any court proceedings.[153] Asked about the lawyer strike in a TV interview, Vučić compared lawyers to "a mob".[154] The Bar Association condemned Vučić's stement and announced a protest.[155] On the same day, teachers and professors protested in Novi Sad, demanding the resignation of the university rector, and accusing him of supporting the attacks on students.[156] Education workers also protested in Pirot.[157] Students, school teachers and citizens protested in Kragujevac, as well.[158] Students announced that a blockade of all three bridges in Novi Sad (Liberty Bridge, Varadin Bridge and Žeželj Bridge) will take place on 1 February, to mark the three months since the canopy collapse while also being the Day of the City.[159]
On 19 January, around 10,000 teachers, professors, students and citizens protested in Čačak in support of the attacked religious teacher. Students carried a cardboard replica of a bulldozer, as a reference to the Bulldozer Revolution. In front of the SNS offices, the protesters stopped and shouted "fascists, fascists", "resignations" and threw eggs at the windows.[160][161] In Kraljevo, mayor Predrag Terzić was booed in public because of his posts against the student protesters.[162] In Belgrade, 20,000 education workers protested and were joined by students. The protest symbolically lasted for 45 minutes.[163] Due to the existence of several different education workers' unions, the decision on the strike was ultimately left to individual schools. Around 35 percent of schools, both elementary and high schools throughout Serbia, decided to go on strike starting 20 January.[164] In Subotica, students and citizens protested in the city center, expressing their support for lawyers and education workers. This protest also began with 15 minutes of silence.[165]
On 20 January, parents gathered in front of several elementary schools in Novi Sad to express their support for the teachers.[166] In the Belgrade municipality of Surčin, dozens of hooded people, allegedly tied to SNS, tried to forcefully enter an elementary school which was on strike, and verbally threatened the principal and teachers. Some parents came to assist the teachers, filmed the attackers, and the attackers eventually left.[167] In Zrenjanin, school inspectors were ordered by the Ministry of Education to enter the elementary schools which declared strike, but they refused.[168] In some schools in Belgrade and Novi Sad, parents gathered and chased out the school inspectors.[169][170] Students protested in Novi Pazar. The silence was extended to 16 minutes, in protest against the lenient sentence for the death of student Ernad Bakan in a traffic accident.[171][172] Employees of Elektroprivreda Srbije also declared a strike and announced they will be joining the protests.[173]
On 21 January, hooded people put up banners on the overpasses on the Belgrade highway, showing a picture of a flipped middle finger with the inscription "This is the response of the Serbian people to your colour revolution".[174] Many prominent SNS members, including the mayor of Kraljevo, also shared the picture of the flipped middle finger on their social media profiles.[175] The middle finger was also drawn overnight in several Belgrade schoolyards, but pupils drew flowers over them.[176] It is worth noting that term "colour revolution", although common in countries of the former Soviet Union, was never widely used in Serbia. The activists took down the banners, however, in one case, a hooded person who put up the banner attacked the activist; the attacker was filmed and doxxed later.[177] On the same day, high-school students and citizens protested in Obrenovac.[178]
In the evening hours of 21 January, undercover police stormed the Belgrade hotel where students from abroad were staying for an international conference, organized by ERSTE Foundation. Five female students from Croatia were singled out by police, transported to the police station, accused of helping the protests and deported. This act was condemned by Croatia, as well as by anti-government protesters in Serbia.[179][better source needed][180][181]
By 22 January, dozens of small, medium and enterprise companies throughout Serbia announced they will join a general strike on 24 January. Some online retail websites were temporarily offline between 11:52 am and 12:07 am. Employees of technology companies headquartered in New Belgrade joined the students in road blockades and protests. In Čačak, medical workers joined the protest.[182] That same day, two MPs from the SNS officially resigned, without providing an explanation.[183]
On 23 January, during the protest in Kraljevo, protesters threw eggs at the local SNS offices and at the mayor, Predrag Terzić, who was present in front of the offices. Protesters shouted "murderers, murderers".[184][185][better source needed] On that same day, in an open letter, 17 judges publicly expressed their support for students' demands.[186] Over a hundred different companies publicly stated they will support the general strike and will not operate on 24 January.[187]
Participants in the general strike in Serbia, in the center of Belgrade, 24 January 2025. They are walking in an organized group along the roadway in the area of Terazije Square. Car traffic is suspended. One of the participants holds a banner with the slogan "Only unity saves the Serbs" (Serbian Cyrillic: Само слога Србина спасава) changed to "Only student save the Serbs" (Serbian Cyrillic: Само студент Србина спашава).
On 24 January, large protests were held in Apatin, Belgrade, Gornji Milanovac, Jagodina, Lazarevac, Leskovac, Kragujevac, Niš, Novi Sad, Novi Pazar, Petrovac na Mlavi, Stara Pazova, and Vlasotince.[188][189][190] In Lazarevac, the students were joined by miners from the RB Kolubara mines. In Belgrade, high-school pupils, lawyers and tech companies organized their protest together with students. Two columns of protesters crossed the Branko's Bridge from both sides and symbolically connected two sides of the river.[191] Medical workers and workers in social care institutions either left their workplaces while the protesters were passing by or made statements of support.[192] In Novi Sad, opposition parties blocked the highway with motor vehicles for a brief period of time.[193]
The protest in Jagodina was specific since it was organized on the same day as the large SNS gathering, albeit a few hours earlier. Despite that, there were no reported incidents within the city; however, in the Belgrade municipality of Voždovac, local residents attempted to physically stop a bus driving SNS supporters to Jagodina.[194][195] The SNS supporters arrived later in the afternoon with organized buses. Speaking at the SNS gathering, president Vučić stated that he wants peace and stability, that "children need to go to schools", and that he will "not sanction Russia, nor any other friendly nation". He also announced the formation of a new political movement.[196][197][198]
During the protests in New Belgrade, a black Citroen ran over two students and seriously injured them. Afterwards, the protesters surrounded the vehicle and demolished it. The driver, a young female, was arrested by undercover police.[199][200] Students announced that they will organize a day-long blockade of the Autokomanda intersection in downtown Belgrade on 27 January.[201] The Ministry of Education called on schools to reduce the January salaries for those education workers who are on strike.[202][203]
In the morning hours of 25 January, over 650 bikers from different biker clubs gathered in Belgrade, donated food to students blocking the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, and afterwards proceeded downtown, in support of the student who was overrun. Their protest began with 15 minutes of silence, honoring the victims of the canopy collapse.[204][205] Farmers from towns and villages around Novi Sad formed columns and moved towards the city with their tractors. Their proclaimed goal was to park the tractors in front of protesting students, thereby shielding them from possible attacks. Near Rumenka, the farmers were blocked by a unit of Žandarmerija with riot gear, prohibiting them from moving further. Students from Novi Sad came to assist the farmers and the unit was eventually forced to pull back. Around 30 tractors reached the campus in Novi Sad.[206][207] Citizens also protested in Mladenovac,[208]Pirot,[209]Prijepolje[210]Smederevo,[211]Svrljig,[212]Vršac[213] and Zrenjanin.[214]
On the morning of 26 January, farmers from Banatsko Novo Selo moved towards Belgrade with their tractors. Their aim was to supply food for students blocking the Belgrade Agronomic Faculty and to leave at least 10 tractors there as a shield against possible attacks.[215] The farmers reached the faculty in the afternoon.[216][better source needed]
On 26 January, bikers organized a protest in Kragujevac, commemorating the victims with 15 minutes of silence.[217] Citizens also protested in Niš,[218] Subotica,[219]Varvarin[220] and Zaječar.[221]
On the morning of 27 January, students, bikers and farmers on tractors blocked the Autokomanda intersection in downtown Belgrade. The blockade began with 15 minutes of silence and was scheduled to last for 24 hours.[222][223] Tens of thousands attended the blockade; students played volleyball and boardgames, and made barbecue. Early the next day, the students cleaned up the intersection.[224][225] At the same time, citizens protested in Prokuplje and Kuršumlija.[226] Civil engineers announced they will protest on 29 January, supporting the students and asking the Ministry of Construction to amend the Law on Planning and Construction and appoint experts to key positions in the relevant institutions.[227]
Around 3 am on 28 January, students putting up posters in Novi Sad were attacked by masked persons carrying baseball bats in front of the local offices of SNS. After repeated calls and 30 minutes of waiting for the emergency medical team to arrive, students were transported to hospital.[228] One female student was seriously injured and left with a broken jaw.[229][230][231] This caused an outrage on social media and students announced a new protest in Novi Sad. Around 10 am, students gathered and drew graffiti "murderers" on the windows of SNS offices in Novi Sad.[232] At a press conference held at 11 am, prime minister Miloš Vučević, and mayor of Novi Sad Milan Đurić, both members of SNS, resigned, citing the attack as the reason. Vučević also informed the public that the attackers indeed came from the offices of the SNS.[233] Four attackers were arrested, all of them with previous criminal record.[234] Their names were soon doxxed and their mugshots from the police station were leaked on social media. Some social media users found several old photos of Vučević and his son together with some of the attackers; despite rumors of this being a possible reason for resignation, the personal connection with the attackers was not officially confirmed.[235][236] At least two of the four attackers had previously collaborated with the city of Novi Sad in promoting recycling and environmental protection, for which they received funds from the city budget.[237]
Later in the day, farmers blocked the regional road near Bresnica, in central Serbia, with tractors. They announced they will stay there for 24 hours.[238] Another group of farmers blocked the Ibar Highway near Kraljevo with tractors, for the next 24 hours.[239] In the evening hours, in Novi Sad, Belgrade, Čačak, Kragujevac, Niš and Pirot, thousands gathered in a march of solidarity with the attacked students.[240] In Niš, students drew graffiti "murderers" on the local SNS offices and announced a blockade of the central ringroad.[241]
Following Vučević's resignation, president Vučić said he would pardon students and university teachers charged in connection with the protests and announced a major cabinet reshuffle, adding that he was considering on whether to call parliamentary elections or appoint a new government.[242] Among those pardoned was the dean of the Faculty of Philology in Niš, who was never informed of any legal proceeding against her.[243]
On 29 January, thousands of citizens protested in Gornji Milanovac and hundreds gathered in Lapovo.[244] In Ivanjica, high-school pupils and their teachers organized a protest, starting with 15 minutes of silence. The school principal brought food for pupils who want to come back to classes, however, the pupils gave that food to stray dogs, filmed it and shared the video.[245][better source needed] Belgrade students announced that they will walk by foot from Belgrade to Novi Sad to join the blockade on 1 February.[246] High school pupils from the Belgrade municipality of Zemun announced a 24-hour blockade of the Zemun Gymnasium.[247]
On the same day, the magazine "Nova Ekonomija" published an article revealing that the head of president Vučić's cabinet, Ivica Kojić, played a role in the project of reconstruction and adaptation of the railway to Hungary, including the Novi Sad railway station. According to emails published by the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad, Kojić promised the contractor that he would speed up activities on this project.[248]
On 30 January, hundreds of students from Belgrade faculties set off on a two-day walk from Belgrade to Novi Sad in order to support their Novi Sad colleagues in blocking all three bridges in that city, thereby marking three months since the collapse of the canopy. The Ministry of Internal Affairs advised it will secure the walk route.[249] Along the route, the students were greeted by citizens and by employees of Telekom Srbija, the state-owned telecommunications company.[250] Citizens of Stara Pazova, a town along their route, welcomed the students with fireworks and over 150 kilograms of free food.[251][252] Before students reached Inđija, the town's mayor, SNS member Marko Gašić, locked the entrance to the hall where the students were supposed to sleep over.[253] Residents then offered their private accommodations, and one club owner offered his night club for the students to sleep in. The students decided to stick together and spent the night in the open, sleeping on styrofoam.[254] In the morning, they proceeded to Novi Sad.[255]
Citizens protested in Grdelica,[256]Kostolac[257] and in Pećinci, despite rumors circulating that they might lose their jobs.[258] On the same day, the European Commission officially demanded information from the prosecutors' offices in Belgrade and Novi Sad in regards to the attacks on students throughout 2024 and 2025.[259]
On 31 January, another attack with a motor vehicle happened in Belgrade. Medical workers were blocking the street in front of their workplace at the central psychiatric hospital, commemorating the victims with 15 minutes of silence, when a black Volkswagen drove right through them in full speed. Three medical workers were injured and the perpetrators, two young males, tried to escape, but were stopped by other medical workers.[260]
In the evening hours, marching students reached Novi Sad, where they were welcomed by thousands of local residents. Together, they held a vigil at the Novi Sad railway station, with 15 minutes of silence.[261][262] Over a hundred taxi drivers from Belgrade announced a departure on 2 February at 1 pm from Nikola Tesla Airport, in order to transport students back from Novi Sad free of charge.[263][264][265]
In Belgrade, employees of the public transit company GSP Belgrade announced a protest for 5 February, demanding that the mayor, Aleksandar Šapić, "be held criminally liable for the damage caused to GSP, together with his assistant Miroslav Čučković".[266][267]
February
On 1 February, on the Day of the City and the three-month anniversary of the canopy collapse, large crowds gathered at the entrance to Novi Sad – columns of cars waited for hours at the toll gates to join the protests and blockade. A long line of several hundred bikers was seen at the entrance to Novi Sad, and many farmers also joined the protest with their tractors.[268] Around 3 pm, students blocked all three bridges in Novi Sad. Tens of thousands of citizens gathered, and the protest started with 15 minutes of silence. Two of the bridges were blocked for three hours, while Liberty Bridge was blocked for 24 hours.[269][270] After the results of the plenum in which the citizens on the bridge voted, it was extended for three more hours in order to clean up the area.[271]
In Čačak, teachers, professors and their students blocked the two bridges over the West Morava for an hour in support of the students in Novi Sad.[272] Farmers have arranged for their tractors to be parked in front of the bridges, in order to protect the protesters.[273] Citizens also protested in Kladovo, Krupanj, Kuršumlija, Prijepolje, Prokuplje and Žitorađa.[274][275] Judges of the Basic and Higher Courts in Niš publicly supported the students' demands.[276] In its prime-time news program, RTS briefly reported about the Novi Sad protest. This was condemned as "scandalous" and "biased" by the SNS.[277][278]
On 2 February, the Bar Association of Serbia announced a 30-day lawyers' strike.[279] In Novi Sad, 671 taxi vehicles from Belgrade have organized a lift back to Belgrade for students, completely free of charge.[280][281] On the same day, protests were organized in Bajina Bašta, Jagodina, Kosjerić, Šabac, Užice, Vlasotince and Vršac.[282][283] In Šabac, students and teachers blocked the bridge over the Sava river for 225 minutes, 15 minutes for each of the 15 victims.[284] In Užice, residents blocked the motorway by standing on the bridge above the Đetinja river despite freezing weather.[285]
On 3 February, the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad announced that the Special Department for Suppression of Corruption had launched an investigation into corruption in connection with the reconstruction of the canopy of the Novi Sad Railway Station.[286] In Belgrade, a 15-minute silence was held at the intersection in front of the mental hospital for those killed in the collapse. In addition to employees and citizens, bikers also blocked the intersection in front of the building to protect employees and the crowd, given that two female doctors were injured at the same location a few days ago when they were hit by a car at full speed.[287] Students from several Belgrade high schools also protested in front of their respective schools.[288] Artists have protested in front of the Ministry of Culture,[289] while professors of the Aviation Academy and parents whose children attend the Academy blocked the intersection in front of the central government building.[290]
On 4 February, students, teachers, farmers and bikers organized a large protest in Kragujevac.[291] The protesters carried boxes with ideas on city improvement to the city hall.[292] Protesters also gathered in Arandjelovac, for the third time in one week, in support of the kindergarten teachers on strike.[293] On the same day, the Police Union of Serbia (PSS) sent a letter to the Minister of the Interior, Ivica Dačić, demanding an increase in salaries and the introduction of additional benefits for employees in the Ministry of the Interior (MUP). The union proposed that the wages of employees with secondary education, civil servants and office workers be increased by at least 15 percent of the salary for March, while the wages of employees with higher education by at least five percent. In addition, the PSS requested the payment of compensation for food costs during work in the amount of 15,000 dinars for all employees, as well as annual vacation allowance of at least 85,000 dinars, starting in 2025.[294] Nearly 500 policemen have signed a petition supporting the students' demands.[295]
On 5 February, five simultaneous protests were held in Belgrade. Pensioners protested at Republic Square in support of the students.[296] medical workers protested in front of the Zemun hospital[297], students gathered in front of the Ministry of Education[297], another group of students blocked the central street in Banovo Brdo[298], and employees of the public transit company GSP protested in front of the company headquarters in Dorćol.[299] Students announced a large protest to be held on 15 February in Kragujevac, on the anniversary of the Sretenje Constitution.[300] Medical and social workers union "Nezavisnost", with around 2,500 members in Niš, officially supported the students and their demands.[301] Professors and teachers protested in Leskovac.[302] Citizens also protested in Sombor, where students were joined by medical workers and local librarians.[303]
On the same day, "Forbes Serbia" published the statement the former Minister of Construction, Goran Vesić, gave to the prosecutor on 22 November 2024. Vesić stated that he does not consider himself responsible, nor could he in any way contribute to the accident, as well as that "the station was not put into operation just because he came to the opening." He denied that the vestibule (main hall) of the station was commissioned on his order. Vesić mentioned that in March 2022, the first part of the station was put into operation, i.e. the platforms and tracks and the part of the station that passengers used until the vestibule was put into operation. And then a ceremony was organized. "At that time, there was no use permit" the statement reads. The statement also describes the procedure for the internal acceptance and handover of Wing B in June-July 2024, from the Chinese consortium as a contractor to the Serbian Railways Infrastructure as an investor. Vesić said that he found out about the memo, which stated that after the internal reception, passengers will be able to use lobby B, only after the canopy fell. Describing the process of internal reception in more detail, the former minister said that his ministry was not mentioned anywhere in the mutual communication regarding the handover, and that his assistant Anita Dimoski was familiar with the correspondence because she was always named as the recipient of the emails. Concluding the description of the events surrounding the handover, he stated that the handover took place on July 4, 2024, and that the use of the lobby was enabled from that day.[304]
On 6 February, the Government of Serbia adopted a decision providing 12.01 billion dinars for higher education. According to the official announcement by the Government, the budget for education is thereby increased by 20 percent, fulfilling the fourth demand of the student plenums.[307] On the same day, in the Novi Sad neighborhood of Telep, a car with Croatian license plates attempted to drive through the protesters blocking the road for 15 minutes. There were no casualties and the driver fled before police arrived.[308] Parents whose children attend elementary schools in Novi Sad organized a protest after some parents who openly supported the school teachers' strike received phone calls from police.[309] In Topola, farmers blocked the motorway with tractors.[310] Students also protested in Crna Trava.[311]
The Serbian Medical Association (SLD), the umbrella organization of doctors and dentists, announced that their Assembly officially supports all demands issued by the students of the blocked Medical Faculties.[312]
Serbian newspaper Danas published an article revealing that Marko Tošin, one of the attackers who stormed out of the SNS offices in Novi Sad on 28 January and broke a female student's jaw with a baseball bat, was released from custody merely a day after the arrest. The article sparked outrage on social media.[313]
According to Forbes Serbia, the families of the victims of the Novi Sad accident were interested in joining the criminal prosecution by pressing charges against the persons responsible for the death of their loved ones. This followed testimony before the prosecutor that was attached as part of the indictment, which Forbes Serbia had access to.[314] Former dean and professor of the Belgrade Faculty of Civil Engineering, Vladan Kuzmanović, stated that Aleksandar Vučić and Miloš Vučević essentially led the Railway Station reconstruction in Novi Sad.[315] The European Parliament's rapporteur for Serbia, Tonino Picula, assessed that Serbia is in an "undeclared state of emergency", and that the President Vučić has not found a way to compensate for the dissatisfaction of those people who protest.[316]
On 7 February, lawyers organized a protest in front of RTS.[317] There, the lawyers demanded that their voices be heard and called upon policemen and members of the Serbian Armed Forces to join a general strike.[318] The informal community of elementary school teachers in New Belgrade - PULS announced a large protest gathering and walk through New Belgrade on 8 February.[319] Theatrical actors from the theaters in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Sombor and Zrenjanin started a seven-day strike.[320] In Belgrade, protesters blocked the Pupin Bridge connecting Zemun with Borča.[321] Citizens also protested in Niš.[322] During the protest, an unknown female person approached the dean of the Niš Faculty of Philosophy, threatened her and physically attacked her.[323] In Prijepolje, high school teachers protested, despite receiving verbal threats.[324] In Subotica, students, professors and citizens organized a protest, which began with 15 minutes of silence. Afterwards, the gathered crowd moved towards the city hall, where they left a message for the mayor, Stevan Bakić,[325] an SNS member, who previously compared the protesters with World War TwoCroatian fascists and accused them of "destroying Serbia".[326]
In Bogatić, SNS-led local authorities organized a public hearing on the municipal spatial plan, which also includes lithium exploration, behind closed doors, contrary to the Serbian Law on Local Administration. Hundreds of farmers and protesters entered the Bogatić municipality building, where a public hearing was scheduled to take place, and physically carried the local chairman of the SNS outside. SNS banners, visible on the town square, were torn down.[327][328][329] Farmers and protesters organized a plenary session, during which they expressed support for the students' demands.[330]
Kragujevac students from blocked faculties announced they will run a 137-kilometer relay marathon to the Church of St. Sava in Belgrade to hand over invitations to their colleagues for the protest scheduled on Sretenje, 15 February, in Kragujevac.[331][332]
On 8 February, teachers and professors from 18 New Belgrade elementary schools, joined by parents whose children attend those schools, blocked the central turnaround in New Belgrade.[333] In Niš, students, professors and citizens organized a 15 km-long protest walk to Merošina.[334]
On the same day, during his speech at the SNS gathering in a sports hall in Kikinda, president Vučić announced that he is writing a book about his "glorious victory against the colour revolution in Serbia" and that the book will be finished by Vidovdan.[335] Another SNS gathering was organized in the cultural center of Lazarevac, where President of the National Assembly Ana Brnabić and Minister of Finance Siniša Mali, both SNS members, were scheduled to speak. Protesters gathered in front of the center, waited for Brnabić and Mali to come out and booed them; during the gathering, Brnabić called the protesters "cowards", but once outside, she smiled and waved at them.[336][337]
On 9 February, students of the Agronomic Faculty, together with farmers on tractors, blocked the Gazela Bridge in Belgrade, to commemorate 100 days since the canopy collapse.[338] In Niš, students blocked the highway paytoll.[339] Protesters also blocked the local intersections in Ruma[340] and Zrenjanin.[341] In the afternoon hours, students running a relay marathon from Kragujevac to Belgrade, have reached Mladenovac, where over a hundred locals gathered along their route to applaud and cheer them on.[342] When students reached the Belgrade municipality of Voždovac, local residents formed a column with their vehicles and escorted the students safely to the Church of St. Sava in downtown Belgrade, where thousands of people gathered to welcome them. The students thanked the gathered crowd, and invited them to come to the large protest scheduled for 15 February in Kragujevac.[343][344]
On the same day, former prime minister Vučević, when asked about the protesters in an interview, said: "Enough with their nonsense. Who gave them the right to determine who is what and who did what, who are they to talk about it? They have no empathy for anything."[345]
Symbols
The flag with a red handprint, a symbol commonly used by the protesters.[346]
A common protester slogan has been "corruption kills".[61] Protest symbols included red handprints with the caption "your hands are bloody", referring to the authorities and ruling politicians, and bleeding doves, with the dove being one of the symbols of Novi Sad.[45][347]
Red handprints with You have blood on your hands! (Serbian: Krvave su vam ruke!) text on the left
Various banners could be seen during the protests and blockades. Most of them mention the president Vučić and the other members of the ruling party, the public prosecutor Zagorka Dolovac [sr] and express the support for the students. Some of the banners feature quotes or references from the Serbian and world's pop culture, such as Better Call Saul ("Not Even Saul Will Save You"), Grand Theft Auto VI ("Students Rose Up Before the release of GTA VI").[348] In addition to them, the Serbian flags can be seen at every protest, sometimes accompanied by the flags of various cities, such as Belgrade and Novi Sad at the gathering on 31 January.[349] Students also often call out the president's excessive behavior, because in his capacity as the president of Serbia, he is not competent to talk about the demands. [350]
Reactions
Domestic support
Protests were publicly supported by over 5,000 university professors, cooperators and researchers.[351]
Professional associations and cultural institutions
A number of associations and cultural institutions supported the protests, including:
This map shows the 2024–2025 Serbian anti-corruption protests across Serbia and Europe. Red areas mark at least one protest site, blue areas indicate no protests, and red dots show European cities where Serbian diaspora held solidarity protests.
