Students holding up a banner stating “Your hands are bloody” in Belgrade, Serbia, Friday, Dec. 13. Source: AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic

Since Nov. 1, Serbia has witnessed persistent student-led protests following the tragic collapse of a concrete canopy at the Novi Sad railway station, which resulted in 15 fatalities. The incident has been widely attributed to corruption and substandard renovation work involving Chinese state companies. However, these companies have denied responsibility, claiming that [the canopy was not a part of the renovation](https://balkaninsight.com/2024/11/04/serbian-govt-faces-growing-calls-for-answers-over-railway-station-deaths/], though no further explanations have been provided.

In response to the disaster, university students across the country have organized demonstrations, including blocking traffic every Friday at 11:52 a.m., the exact time of the collapse, to honor the victims. These 15-minute blockades have expanded beyond Novi Sad to cities like Belgrade, Niš, and Kragujevac.

The protests have garnered support from various social sectors, including professors, actors, lawyers, and farmers. Notably, over 40 university faculties have suspended classes as students occupy their campuses, demanding accountability and transparency from the government. As high school students joined the protests, Serbia’s Ministry of Education published a decision to end the semester on Dec. 23.

President Aleksandar Vučić has pledged to meet the protesters' demands, including the publication of all documents related to the station's reconstruction and the release of detained protesters. Despite these concessions, demonstrations continue, with participants expressing broader dissatisfaction with Vučić's administration, accusing it of autocratic tendencies and suppressing democratic freedoms.

Tensions have occasionally turned violent, particularly when pro-government groups tried to disrupt protests. The blockades of the educational institutions were, in fact, started by students being attacked during a silent tribute to the victims on Nov. 22 at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts at Belgrade University. The government has detained dozens of protesters and responded harshly to their activities.

The government's decision to extend school winter holidays, perceived as an attempt to curtail the protests, has been met with skepticism. Additionally, reports from organizations like Amnesty International allege that Serbian authorities have employed spyware to monitor journalists and opposition activists, raising concerns about state surveillance and civil liberties.

As of Dec. 22, university students and farmer unions had called for a rally on Slavija Square, which marked one of the largest in recent years. The rally started with 15 minutes of silence as a tribute to the victims. As protesters switched on the flashlights on their phones, what was supposed to be a blockade of the Slavija square ended up being a blockade of the city, with the Ministry of Internal Affairs estimating 29,000 people protesting, while the Archive of Public Gatherings said between 100,000 to 102,000 people attended, an unforeseen amount.

The protests are beyond a reaction to an isolated incident - they are evidence that the Serbian people are willing to fight for systemic changes and governmental accountability, one protest at a time, until justice is restored and corruption in the country is tackled.