Protesters block the Autokomanda traffic interchange in Belgrade, January 27, 2025. Photo: BIRN.

On Monday, students in Belgrade, along with their professors, teachers, and the public, initiated a 24-hour blockade of the Autokomanda, one of the busiest highway interchanges in Serbia’s capital.

In light of numerous violent incidents from prior protests, including two serious injuries among students when drivers rams cars into the crowd, Monday’s blockade received added support from farmers on tractors and motorcycle riders, who ensured the safety of the demonstrators.

The aim of the protest is to hold President Aleksandar Vučić’s government accountable for a tragic incident at the Novi Sad railway station last November, which resulted in the deaths of 15 individuals.

Students gathered from various locations across the city, particularly those from the Faculty of Agriculture in Zemun, blocking a lane of the Belgrade-Zagreb highway as they made their way to the blockade site.

One motorcyclist, who wished to remain anonymous, shared with BIRN that he came independently and was not representing any specific biker group.

“Students reached out for help, and we coordinated through an online biker forum. We will take shifts to remain at Autokomanda until the blockade concludes,” he conveyed to BIRN.

Andrija Rajković, a PhD student and teaching assistant at the Faculty of Agriculture, mentioned that four tractors were stationed around a portable stove where meals are prepared for the students and others attending the protest.

He went on to explain that former students of the faculty are leading the food organization efforts.

“Farmers have also shown their support, offering food and other necessities required by the students since the protest began,” Rajković noted.

He expressed that “societal changes unfold gradually and cannot happen overnight.”

“Change is inevitable after this scale of public demonstration; it would be impossible for anyone to ignore this many people on the streets, not just in Belgrade, Novi Sad, and Niš, but also in smaller towns throughout Serbia,” he remarked.

A food preparation point at the Autokomanda traffic interchange. Photo: BIRN

Some community members contributed to protecting the protesters by encircling the blockade with their vehicles.

The police managed traffic around the blockade area, as well as the pathways used by protesters to reach it on foot, following the absence of police at earlier protests.

The students are advocating for four key demands: the release of all documents related to the renovation of Novi Sad railway station, which partially collapsed on November 1, killing 15 individuals; legal action against those who attacked students and faculty during their protests regarding the disaster, leading to their dismissal if they are public officials; cessation of the prosecutions against students detained during the protests; and securing a 20% increase in the budget allocated for higher education.

Despite President Vučić and other high-ranking officials asserting for weeks that all demands had been addressed, the Faculty of Civil Engineering at Belgrade University outlined remaining documentation deficiencies related to the railway station on Saturday. Subsequently, the Novi Sad Higher Prosecutor’s Office released additional documents on Sunday.

The blockade represents a continuation of past efforts following massive protests in Belgrade and other cities across the nation on Friday, where numerous cultural institutions and businesses joined students in a general strike.

For nearly two months, students have been occupying university buildings following an attack on a protester outside the Belgrade Faculty of Dramatic Arts on November 22.

Silent, commemorative protests lasting 15 minutes have been regularly held in Belgrade, Novi Sad, and other towns to honor the victims of the Novi Sad railway station incident.

The canopy collapse at the station occurred after significant renovation efforts that began in 2021, part of a Chinese-led initiative to upgrade Serbia’s railway infrastructure.

These renovations were highlighted during the 2022 election campaign; however, the reconstruction continued until July 2024, when officials announced that the station had been reconstructed “according to European standards.”

Thirteen individuals, including the construction minister at the time, face charges for endangering public safety due to the canopy collapse.