For over two months, students have been blocking faculties to demand accountability for the tragic deaths of 15 individuals caused by a canopy collapse in Novi Sad. On February 11th, they began their trek on foot from Belgrade and Niš towards Kragujevac to join a protest scheduled for the national holiday of Sretenje, February 15th.

The group from Belgrade commenced their march from in front of the Faculty of Pharmacy, accompanied by faculty staff and numerous citizens. The traffic police are ensuring the safety of the procession, as reported by an RFE/RL journalist.

Students from Niš are also participating in the march towards Kragujevac, bringing along food, water, tents, gear, and Serbian flags for their 151-kilometer journey, according to the same report.

Earlier, a group of students protesting from Novi Sad symbolically ran to Belgrade on February 10, where they planned to walk alongside Belgrade students towards Kragujevac.

On February 9, students from Kragujevac officially invited their University of Belgrade counterparts to join the protest, even running a 115-kilometer relay marathon to spread the message.

During the weekend, marking a hundred days since the Novi Sad canopy collapse, students organized road blockades and protests in various cities throughout Serbia, drawing participation from many citizens.

This tragic incident has ignited a wave of protests across Serbia, predominantly led by students who are currently blockading over 60 universities. They demand both criminal and political accountability from the authorities. Several high schools have also joined in solidarity with the blockade.

The students’ demands have garnered support from professors, educators, legal professionals, farmers, actors, and citizens alike.

Despite the government, under President Aleksandar Vučić, asserting that the students’ demands have been fulfilled, the students maintain that this is not the case and have vowed to continue their protests.

On December 30, the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Novi Sad filed charges against 13 individuals accused of negligence in the canopy’s reconstruction.

The defendants include former Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Goran Vesić, along with his assistant Anita Dimoski, and former director of “Infrastruktura Željeznice Srbije” Jelena Tanasković.

While 10 of the defendants are in custody, Vesić remains at large, and both Tanasković and Dimoski are under house arrest.

On February 3, the Novi Sad Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office revealed they were investigating potential corruption related to the reconstruction of the Railway Station.

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