Subotica / Novi Sad — 29.10.2025
In a powerful act of civic defiance, around 130 students and citizens from Subotica began a long walk toward Novi Sad early this morning, declaring that they are marching “for those who never received justice.” The peaceful protest, organized exactly one year after the deadly collapse of the canopy at the Railway Station that claimed 16 lives, has become a stark symbol of resistance against the negligence and impunity of Aleksandar Vučić’s regime.
At 7:20 a.m., the participants gathered in front of the Faculty of Economics in Subotica, where they observed a sixteen-minute silence — one for each victim of the tragedy — before setting off on foot. Their message was clear: Serbia’s citizens are tired of a system where injustice is normalized and accountability is absent.
“We walk for those who came before us but never received justice,” one student said, as the group departed under police supervision and with visible public support.
A movement that refuses to be silenced
The walkers include students from Subotica, Sombor, Novi Kneževac, Novi Sad, and Belgrade, and are expected to be joined by supporters from Bačka Topola and Vrbas along the route. Their journey, which passes through Stari Žednik, Kula, and Vrbas, will culminate in Novi Sad on October 31 — where they will attend the commemoration marking the tragedy’s first anniversary.
But the march is more than a memorial. It is a direct indictment of a government that refuses to take responsibility for the systemic corruption, incompetence, and political interference that, protesters say, led to the deaths of innocent citizens.
“Our message is to not forget what happened,” said Tijana, a student from Subotica. “We must not allow something like this to happen again. Those responsible must be held accountable — before the law, and before the institutions that we will one day liberate.”
Human solidarity against state indifference
Along their route, citizens have been welcoming the students with food, water, and accommodation — a moving contrast to the indifference of the authorities in Belgrade. The students will spend the night in private homes in Bačka Topola and Vrbas, helped by local residents who view the march as a symbol of moral courage in a country suffocated by fear and propaganda.
Accompanied by police and volunteers, the group includes medics and support vehicles. Despite fatigue and the long distance ahead, their morale remains unbroken.
“With so many wonderful people and such positive energy, nothing can hold us back,” Tijana said.
A quiet but powerful indictment
The students’ march exposes the deep fracture between Serbia’s citizens and the government that claims to represent them. While Vučić’s administration continues to boast about “stability” and “progress,” young people across Serbia are walking for the truth — demanding justice, accountability, and dignity in a state that has failed to protect its own citizens.
Their steps echo far beyond Subotica’s streets. Each kilometer walked is a rejection of the silence and lies that have defined Vučić’s rule — a reminder that, even in a climate of fear, Serbia’s youth refuse to bow to authoritarianism.
As they march toward Novi Sad, their message resounds through the heart of a wounded nation:
“We will not give up. We will not forget. We will free the institutions — and reclaim justice.”
