Nine months after the tragedy in Novi Sad, students in Serbia call for a protest bigger than Vidovdan tomorrow

Nine months after the tragedy in Novi Sad, students in Serbia call for a protest bigger than Vidovdan tomorrow

Blockading students from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts and the Faculty of Architecture in Belgrade have called on citizens to participate in a peaceful memorial walk, which will be held tomorrow, August 1, on the occasion of the nine-month anniversary of the tragedy of the collapse of the spire at the Novi Sad train station, an event that has not yet brought any institutional responsibility.

The rally begins at 19:00, in front of the Old Train Station on Sava Square, while the official program begins at 19:30 with a short speech. After that, the attendees will silently walk to the Belgrade-Centar Train Station “Prokop”, where a second speech will be held, followed by 16 minutes of silence and a symbolic performance with black cloth, to commemorate the victims of the tragedy in Novi Sad.

“August 01 marks 9 months since the peak fell, and there is still no one accountable. The government continues to ignore student and citizen discontent, does not meet demands, and refuses any responsibility that a democratic and legal state should have in the 21st century,” the students say.

The protest comes in response to institutional silence and the inability to guarantee public safety, especially in major infrastructure projects such as the Prokop station, which has been a symbol of incompetence, corruption and lack of oversight in Serbia for decades. The students warn that the situation at this station remains precarious and that it is only a matter of time before another, even greater tragedy occurs.

 “The purpose of this protest is to return to the roots, to the reasons why our revolt began. If we do not act now, ‘Prokop’ could become a mass grave for the citizens of this country.”

This is the largest mobilization since the “See you on Vidovdan” protest on June 28, which marked a peak of civic discontent in the face of repression, mass arrests, and police violence against students and citizens.

Students emphasize that there is no longer room for indifference:

“Don’t bring the whistles, bring yourself! See you on August 1, 19:00 PM, at the Old Train Station. We remember. We protest. We demand justice.”