Serbia enters new year with student protests over train station tragedy

Students in Belgrade and two other Serbian cities staged a New Year's Eve protest extending into Wednesday, demanding justice for the November train station roof collapse tragedy.

The incident in Novi Sad on November 1 at a newly refurbished train facility claimed 14 lives on-site, with ages ranging from six to 74 years. A 15th victim succumbed to injuries in hospital several weeks later.

The tragedy has triggered nationwide demonstrations, with citizens attributing the deaths to systemic corruption and poor construction supervision.

Late Tuesday, university students in Belgrade organised a protest march through the city centre, where municipal authorities had scheduled New Year's Eve festivities with entertainment programmes.
"There is nothing to celebrate," the students declared in their pre-protest statement.

Similarly, protests occurred in Nis, a southern university hub, where students disrupted planned concerts. Novi Sad, which cancelled its New Year celebrations, also witnessed student demonstrations.

Additionally, students in Belgrade and Nis observed 15 minutes of silence at midnight, commemorating the victims whilst fireworks illuminated the sky.

The demonstrations follow recent charges against 13 individuals, including former transport minister Goran Vesic, who stepped down shortly after the incident.

The government has faced eight weeks of continuous protests, with demonstrators criticising official corruption and insufficient oversight.

Responding to public pressure, authorities released all documentation regarding the controversial train station reconstruction, followed by similar disclosure from the Prosecutor's Office.

President Aleksandar Vucic stated earlier Tuesday that "all student demands had been met" and suggested the issue was now "a matter of politics".