Students who have been blocking their universities for over two months in protest over the tragic collapse of a canopy in Novi Sad, which killed 15 people, have begun a march from Belgrade and Niš to Kragujevac. They plan to join fellow protesters on February 15, Serbia’s Statehood Day (Sretenje).
A column of students set off from Belgrade’s Faculty of Pharmacy, supported by university staff and citizens. Traffic police are accompanying them for safety. Meanwhile, a group from Niš also began the 151-kilometer journey toward Kragujevac, carrying food, water, tents, and Serbian flags.
This follows a symbolic run by Novi Sad students to Belgrade on February 10, after which they joined Belgrade students to walk to Kragujevac. On February 9, five Kragujevac students ran a 115-kilometer relay marathon to invite their colleagues in Belgrade to join the protests.
Nationwide Protests and Government Response
The Novi Sad tragedy has sparked a wave of protests across Serbia, with over 60 universities and even some high schools participating in blockades. Students demand criminal and political accountability for the disaster.
Despite the Serbian government, led by President Aleksandar Vučić, insisting that their demands have been met, students argue otherwise, vowing to continue the protests. Their cause has gained widespread support from professors, teachers, lawyers, farmers, actors, and other citizens.
The Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Novi Sad has indicted 13 people over construction failures related to the collapsed canopy. Among them are former Minister of Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure Goran Vesić, his aide Anita Dimoski, and former director of Serbian Railways Infrastructure Jelena Tanasković.
Currently, 10 accused individuals remain in custody, while Vesić is free, and Tanasković and Dimoski are under house arrest. Additionally, the prosecution is investigating possible corruption in the railway station’s reconstruction project.
