Thousands of students and citizens marched in quiet reverence through rain in Novi Sad on Sunday to mark the second anniversary of a fatal train station canopy collapse. The solemn gathering took place exactly one week after Serbia's student-led protest movement achieved a historic victory in parliamentary elections, defeating the long-ruling right-wing government of Aleksandar Vucic.
Demonstrators gathered outside the station building, where student organizers laid 16 wreaths and 16 red hearts representing each victim killed in the Nov. 1, 2024 tragedy. Mourners shed tears as they lit candles, placed flowers, and observed a moment of silence. The inscribed names on the memorials included children. Parallel commemoration ceremonies took place in cities and towns across Serbia.
Unlike the angry demonstrations held during the first anniversary when Vucic remained in power, participants on Sunday expressed hope that those responsible for the disaster will finally face justice. Addressing the crowd in Novi Sad, a student speaker declared that the collapse was a murder that demands accountability, promising that young Serbians will build a more just society and affirming that the victims will not be forgotten.
The disaster occurred at 11:52 a.m. on Nov. 1, 2024, when a heavy concrete canopy over the station's front entrance crashed without warning onto people waiting for trains on a sunny autumn morning. Fourteen people died instantly at the scene, while two others died later in the hospital. One young woman survived with life-altering injuries.
Daily nationwide traffic blockades began almost immediately after the incident, with protesters stopping traffic every day at 11:52 a.m. to demand justice. The student-led rallies grew into some of the largest anti-government protests in modern Serbian history. In a notable shift, Sunday's memorial was broadcast live by state television channel RTS following resignations among network executives during the post-election week.
Public outrage has focused on allegations that corruption and negligence in major state infrastructure projects caused flawed renovation work on the station canopy. The station upgrade was part of a larger railway reconstruction project carried out with China and Hungary. In 2022, Vucic had toured the renovated Novi Sad facility alongside his ally, former right-wing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Although officials initially insisted the collapsed canopy had not been renovated, an independent investigation by an expert panel found the construction work had been rushed under political orders. The expert report alleged a systematic degradation of construction standards and asserted that the Serbian state had violated its citizens' right to life.
While prosecutors previously charged 13 individuals in connection with the collapse, including a cabinet minister, no trial took place as judicial proceedings stalled. Following last week's election in which the Students' List defeated Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS)—which had taken control of state institutions over 14 years in power—student leaders demanded a full review of stalled high-profile investigations. The movement promised to restore democracy, re-establish the rule of law, and eliminate systemic corruption.
In a related development on Sunday, prosecutors ordered a 48-hour detention for Marko Kricak, Vucic's chief of criminal police, along with another senior officer. Both are under investigation on suspicion of abuse of office connected to a murder probe. Kricak had previously been accused of orchestrating violence against student demonstrators and personally threatening a female student with rape, allegations he has denied.
The international community also commented on the anniversary. Andreas von Beckerath, head of the European Union mission in Serbia, stated on social media platform X that the canopy collapse shook the country to its core and inspired citizens to demand transparency and accountability, adding his hope that the memory of the victims continues to inspire a nation built on solidarity, public trust, and the rule of law.
