Students mark 100 days since deadly canopy collapse

Protesters blocked roads across Serbia on Sunday, marking 100 days since the collapse of a canopy at a train station in the northern city of Novi Sad.

Hundreds of students blocked a major highway and bridge in the capital, Belgrade, for seven hours.

The protest was accompanied by 15 minutes of silence for the victims, with protesters throwing 15 white roses that had been painted red into the Sava river that runs through Belgrade.

Also on Sunday, demonstrators blocked three major roundabouts in Novi Sad and threw roses into the Danube.

The protests are part of a campaign led by striking students who blame the November 1 collapse, in which 15 people were killed, on government corruption. The train station building had been recently renovated under unclear circumstances, with the involvement of Chinese companies and businesses believed to be close to the ruling Progressive Party.

Initially, Serbian officials claimed no work had been done on the canopy, but later admitted this part of the building was also altered during the reconstruction.

Near-daily protests challenge Vucic government

Tens of thousands have joined near-daily protests over the past weeks.

President Aleksandar Vucic has described the protests as an attempted “color revolution” and accused demonstrators of being supported from abroad.

Last week, Prime Minister Milos Vucevic submitted his resignation, saying he did not want to ” further raise tensions in society.” Novi Sad mayor Milan Djuric also resigned.

The resignations came a day after student protesters were attacked by young men coming out of the building that houses the offices of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in Novi Sad.

Protesters in Serbia put pressure on president

On Saturday, Vucic’s car suffered a blown tire in an incident which has been described by officials and pro-government media as an assassination attempt against him.

The president was traveling in a motorcade as he visited various towns and villages in order to rally his own supporters.

German lawmaker calls for ‘stability’ in Serbia

On Saturday, German lawmaker Peter Bajer of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) told DW that he had spoken with Serbian Finance Minister Sinisa Mali about the protests.

Bajer said that Berlin wanted to see “stability” and “democracy” in the southeastern European country. He said German firms were interested in investing in the Western Balkans, adding that instability in Serbia could affect the whole region.

Can Serbia’s student protests bring about change?

CDU leader Friedrich Merz is currently the favorite to become Germany’s next chancellor in February 23 elections, according to polls.

Meanwhile, Josip Juratovic, a lawmaker of the ruling Social Democratic Party (SPD), said that Vucic’s government could “implode” under the pressure of the protest movement.

“[Vucic] is fighting against enraged bees and that is a fight he cannot win anymore. There is no named political opponent that he could attack in his media,” he said.

Edited by: Darko Janjevic

Students mark 100 days since deadly canopy collapse – DW – 02/09/2025