One year after the collapse of the railway station canopy that killed 16 people in Novi Sad, tens of thousands filled the city’s streets demanding truth, accountability, and justice.
What began as a commemoration of tragedy has become a movement against state corruption, with citizens openly accusing the authorities of negligence, cover-ups, and moral decay.
For many, this was the most emotional and defiant gathering in modern Serbian history—a collective outcry against a system that “kills through corruption.”
1. “I Want to Know Who Killed My Child”
At the heart of the protest was Dijana Hrka, mother of Stefan, one of the 16 victims. Her plea for justice silenced the crowd.
“This is my fight, and I must see it through to the end. I will go on a hunger strike in front of the City Assembly because I want to know who killed my child—and who killed 16 people. Someone must be held responsible,” Hrka declared.
Her words cut through a city still haunted by grief—and deepened public anger over a year without answers.
2. “This Was a Crime, Not an Accident”
Nađa Šolaja, a university student, delivered one of the evening’s most powerful messages, rejecting official attempts to frame the tragedy as a technical failure.
“This was not an accident. This was a crime,” she said. “At 11:52 that day, people lost their most basic human right—the right to life—because someone chose greed over safety. Families still don’t know who killed their loved ones, and that silence speaks volumes.”
Her remarks captured the essence of public frustration—a demand to name those responsible, not just to mourn the dead.
3. “A Cup Overflowing with Corruption”
Speaking as both an engineer and a whistleblower, Professor Sanja Fric from the Faculty of Civil Engineering revealed the findings of an independent review: the collapse was not caused by terrorism or sabotage, but by systemic decay and corruption.
“After reviewing more than 20,000 documents and 600,000 pages of evidence, it’s clear: the canopy didn’t fall because of sabotage—it fell because of negligence and greed. Corroded steel cables were left unrepaired for years. This was the drop that spilled a cup filled with corruption,” she stated.
Her testimony dismantled the government’s narrative and underscored a painful truth: the tragedy was preventable.
4. “We Cannot Watch Our Country Collapse in Silence”
Retired prosecutor Jasmina Paunović addressed the crowd, warning that Serbia’s institutions are “held hostage” by corrupt elites.
“The people in power have destroyed every form of accountability. Our institutions are run by the unqualified and the compromised. We have no right to sit and watch our country fall apart,” she said.
Paunović praised the youth leading the protests:
“You have opened the nation’s eyes. Stay here—because nowhere else does the sun shine like this.”
5. “We’ll See Each Other Tomorrow and Every Other Day”
As night fell, students on the Petrovaradin Fortress unfurled a massive banner reading:
“We’ll see each other tomorrow and every other day, until there is justice.”
That message has since become a rallying cry—a promise of persistence in a country where truth and accountability remain buried under political control.
A year later, no one has been prosecuted, no official has resigned, and no explanation has been given that satisfies the public. The Vučić government’s silence has only deepened outrage.
The victims’ families say this movement will continue “until the truth is named and justice is done.”
“This is no longer just about 16 lives,” said one protester. “It’s about what kind of country we want to live in — one built on lies, or one built on justice.”
