Students and citizens across Serbia once again honored those who lost their lives in the canopy collapse at the reconstructed Novi Sad Railway Station last November.

The “Stop Serbia” campaign took place at various sites in Belgrade.

For a period of 15 minutes, demonstrators gathered near the Faculty of Law, silently blocking the intersection of Resavska Street and Bulevar kralja Aleksandra.

According to a reporter from RFE/RL, the action was conducted peacefully.

Dragica Vujadinović, a professor at the Faculty of Law who took part in the memorial, expressed to RFE/RL that “this social rebellion must continue, as it has transformed into a test of patience between those fueling the rebellion and the authorities.”

“This movement should expand, as too many individuals—society, civil society, and youth—have been awakened. We have transitioned from a confined society to an engaged one.”

She further mentioned her plans to attend a significant rally in Kragujevac on February 15th, coinciding with Statehood Day, organized by students who have been demonstrating at over 60 faculties in Serbia for three months.

“The students are frustrated. This atmosphere of hate speech and intolerance has contaminated public discourse, leading to its repercussions. This has inevitably affected the classroom environment,” Professor Vujadinović told RFE/RL.

Additionally, in Belgrade, participants of the “Most ostaje” initiative blocked traffic on Takovska Street in front of the Radio and Television of Serbia building, holding banners proclaiming “Students will change the world,” “For justice, not for money,” and “Our RTS Jaaoo…”, while calling for unbiased news coverage from the public service.

In Niš and Novi Sad, streets were also blocked for 15 minutes as employees of Radio Television of Vojvodina (RTV) paid tribute to the victims.

Every Friday, they join the “Stop, Serbia” campaign, displaying a black flag in front of their building.

High School Students Gather in Belgrade

On February 14th, three groups of high school students from different areas of Belgrade converged at Republic Square, advocating for the students’ demands following the tragic incident that resulted in the deaths of 15 people and serious injuries to two others in Novi Sad on November 1st, according to the Beta agency.

With whistles and trumpets in hand, they rallied on Republic Square, chanting “We want justice!” and “We want the truth!” as reported by a Beta agency journalist.

Some high school students held banners featuring messages like “Count on us,” “Corruption is rampant, justice is calling,” and “Our time is coming,” as noted by an RFE/RL reporter.

This protest was previously announced under the theme “Spread love, spread justice!”, with media reports indicating that high school students encouraged citizens and educators to join the rally.

Public Class in Subotica

A memorial service was also held in Subotica, northern Serbia, for the victims of the canopy collapse in Novi Sad. Following the service, attendees marched to City Hall where professors led a public class.

According to an RFE/RL correspondent, Vedrana Cvijin, a teacher at “Ivan Milutinović” Elementary School, urged educators to take a stand.

“Stop your classes, overcome your fears; nothing will happen to you,” she declared.

Conversely, Žužana Tot, a student at the Faculty of Teacher Education in Hungarian in Subotica, which is not currently under blockade, mentioned that she attends student protests alone.

She believes that many of her peers avoid protests due to fear of repercussions.

Students who had journeyed on foot from Belgrade, Novi Sad, and other cities to Kragujevac observed a moment of silence in Knić and the village of Čumić to honor the victims.

Protests have spread across Serbia over the past two months, led by students who have blockaded more than 60 universities demanding accountability from the authorities regarding the accident. A number of high schools have joined the demonstrations as well.

The demands of the protesting students have garnered support from individual professors, educators, lawyers, farmers, actors, and other community members.

The government, led by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, asserts that the students’ demands have been addressed.

However, the students counter that their demands remain unfulfilled and continue their protests.

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