1 year since the tragedy in Novi Sad/ Large protests planned

2025-11-01 13:06:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Nationwide protests have gripped the country for nearly a year after a concrete canopy collapsed at a railway station in Novi Sad, killing 16 people, in what protesters described as gross mismanagement and corruption.

Tens of thousands of students and opponents of incumbent Serbian President Aleksandar Vu?i? are gathering in the northern city of Novi Sad to organize a rally to mark the first anniversary of the tragedy.

The rally has seen momentum building in favor of opposition demands for major changes in the Balkan country, after nearly a year of student-led anti-government protests that have severely shaken Vucic and his firm grip on power.

As thousands of protesters arrive in Novi Sad from across the country, Vu?i? has threatened mass arrests if mourners "use violence," defiantly adding that his supporters are planning "a much larger rally" in the city later in November.

He has also tried to downplay the expected size and significance of the opposition’s memorial rally. When asked by a television reporter to comment on the commemoration on Saturday, Vu?i? said: “What’s going on in Novi Sad? Is there a football match being played?”

He also noted that "many will be disappointed due to excessive expectations from the rally," adding that "there will be no change of government."

Most student-led protests so far have been peaceful, with sporadic incidents caused by Vu?i? supporters.

However, tensions are simmering after a year of protests and emotions are running high. Riot police have cracked down on protesters. Hundreds of Vu?i?'s opponents have been arrested for participating in previous anti-government rallies, including at least two large demonstrations in the capital, Belgrade.

People are expected to gather in several separate rallies across Novi Sad, a tactic believed to be designed to make it more difficult for police to intervene and arrest participants than if a single rally were held in one central location.

The catalyst for the months-long protests was the deadly collapse of a railway station tent on November 1 last year, which resulted in 16 fatalities.

This incident has been widely attributed to government negligence, endemic corruption, and dubious deals made with Chinese construction firms, which were involved in the renovation work carried out at the railway station.

They began as sporadic demonstrations demanding only responsibility for the tragedy in Novi Sad.

However, they quickly evolved into a nationwide movement addressing broader issues, which also included demands such as early elections and major democratic reforms following the violent crackdown, gaining widespread support across the country.

At first, Vu?i? tried to ease the pressure by sacrificing Prime Minister Miloš Vu?i?, who resigned in January along with the rest of the government. While several officials have been accused of the disaster in Novi Sad, so far no one has been tried, convicted or sentenced.

Vucic has described the protests as a ploy orchestrated by the West to oust him from power, turning instead to Russian President Vladimir Putin and China for support, as crackdowns on liberal rights groups in the country continued.

Thousands of people were expected to take the train from Belgrade to Novi Sad to join the rally.

However, on Friday, the state-owned railway company announced that all trains between the two cities were suspended indefinitely due to an apparent bomb threat. The company has previously used similar tactics ahead of other mass protests in recent months.

However, Saturday's rally is expected to attract large numbers of people and could turn into one of the largest ever held in the troubled Balkan nation, which has a long history of anti-government demonstrations./ CNA