Huge crowds gather on first anniversary of Serbian train station disaster | Serbia
Tens of thousands of Serbs gathered to commemorate the victims of the deadly train station collapse a year ago; this tragedy stirred up anti-government sentiment that still threatens embattled president Aleksandar Vučić.
A student-led movement held rallies in Novi Sad, the country’s second largest city; Here, on November 1, 2024, the dome of the renovated train station collapsed.
Saturday’s memorial rally began at 11:52, the exact time the roof fell, and included 16 minutes of silence for the 16 people who died. Thousands of people crowded into the square, where people placed flowers and candles on temporary fences near the damaged station entrance.
The disaster inspired Serbia’s largest youth-led movement since the overthrow of hardline leader Slobodan Milošević, who died of a heart attack in 2006 while on trial for 66 crimes against humanity, including genocide.
Protesters had initially demanded a transparent investigation into the disaster, but their calls quickly turned into criticism of corruption and nepotism, as well as calls for early parliamentary elections due in 2027.
Many arrived in Novi Sad by bus or car, but others marched from Novi Pazar, about 340 km (211 mi) south of the capital, in an ongoing gesture of protest. It took them a symbolic 16 days to complete the walk.
The people of Novi Sad took to the streets to greet the marchers, blowing whistles and waving flags. “I have come to bow before the most powerful force in the world right now, our students, our youth,” said Ratko Popovic, a resident of Novi Sad.
The protests produced results, including the resignation of former prime minister Miloš Vučević in January.
Vučić remained defiant and branded the demonstrators as Western-backed “terrorists”. But Saturday’s meeting may have shaken him. In a televised public address on Friday, the president made a rare apology for his harsh rhetoric.
“I said some things that I now regret saying,” Vučić said in a TV speech calling for dialogue. “All this hatred simmering in our society cannot bring any good. It can only lead to more destruction.”
The government declared Saturday a national day of mourning.
Serbia is trying to join the EU, but Vučić’s pressure and his close relations with Russia and China have frightened Brussels.
The EU enlargement member, Marta Kos, said in X that the canopy tragedy “changed Serbia”.
“This has led the masses to defend accountability, freedom of expression and inclusive democracy,” Kos said. “These are the same values that will take Serbia to the EU.”
Anti-government protests remained largely peaceful, but turned violent in August amid allegations of police brutality and excessive use of force.
In September, 13 people, including former construction minister Goran Vesić, opened a criminal case regarding the disaster. A separate anti-corruption investigation is ongoing alongside the EU-backed investigation into possible misuse of EU funds on the project.
Agence France-Presse contributed to this report
