NOVI SAD, Serbia — Tens of thousands of people gathered at Novi Sad's main railway station on Sunday to mark the second anniversary of the deadly canopy collapse that gave rise to the protest movement that toppled longtime President Aleksandar Vucic in an election a week ago, Reuters reported. Crowds converged from across the city on the station, where the concrete awning crashed down shortly before noon on November 1, 2024, killing 16 people, and mourners observed 16 minutes of silence before laying wreaths, flowers and candles near the site.
Source: Reuters via DevDiscourse, Nov 1, 2026
In steady rain and silence, thousands marched in Novi Sad in a gesture of respect for the victims, the Associated Press reported. The students brought 16 wreaths and 16 red hearts — one for each victim — outside the station building; people cried as they laid down flowers and lit candles, and a moment of silence was held. Unlike a year ago, when huge crowds gathered for the first anniversary, participants this year said they now have hope that those responsible for the disaster will be punished, AP said.
Source: Associated Press via WCIA, Nov 1, 2026
On Nov. 1, 2024, the huge concrete construction at the outer front wall of the Novi Sad station crashed without warning at 11:52 a.m., crushing people underneath as they waited for trains on a sunny autumn day; fourteen people died at the scene and two died later, and a young woman survived with life-changing injuries, AP reported. The disaster struck at a station renovated under a China-backed high-speed rail project, Reuters said; AP said the renovation was part of a bigger railway reconstruction project with China and neighbouring Hungary. Many in Serbia believe the canopy crashed because of flawed renovation work caused by corruption and negligence in major state infrastructure projects championed by Vucic's government — a belief AP attributes to the protesters' movement, not an established finding.
Protesters saw the collapse as symptomatic of corruption under Vucic, Reuters reported. The protests forced resignations, including that of the construction minister, a government reshuffle and eventually snap elections. On October 25, the Student List — a group that includes academics, professionals, farmers, actors and activists chosen by student assemblies — secured 141 seats in the 250-member parliament, according to a preliminary tally reported by Reuters; final results are due in coming days and are not expected to change the outcome. Vucic, standing as the candidate for prime minister from his SNS party at the end of his presidential term, acknowledged defeat and left office, and a presidential election is expected before the end of the year, Reuters said.
Accountability for the collapse itself is still pending. Prosecutors indicted 13 people over the collapse, but pretrial proceedings have stalled and the defendants denied any wrongdoing, Reuters reported; AP said 13 people had been charged, including a government minister, but no trial was held as the probe stalled. Since last Sunday's election, the students have demanded a review of high-profile investigations, including the probe into the canopy collapse, AP said. An independent investigation by a group of experts found the renovation work had been rushed under political orders, AP reported; the experts' report alleged a “systematic degradation of construction standards” and said that the “state of Serbia violated its citizens' right to life.”
Also on Sunday, prosecutors ordered a 48-hour detention of Marko Kricak, Vucic's chief of criminal police, AP reported. Another senior officer was detained along with Kricak, both on suspicion of abuse of office in connection with a murder investigation. Kricak was accused of orchestrating violence during the student protests, and of personally threatening a female student with rape — allegations that he has denied, AP said.
The head of the European Union mission in Serbia, Andreas von Beckerath, wrote on X that the canopy collapse “shook Serbia to its core and moved citizens across the country to demand transparency and accountability”, adding: “May their memory keep inspiring a Serbia built on solidarity, public trust and rule of law.” In a speech on Sunday, a student said: “It was a murder and a murder demands accountability and justice,” promising that Serbia's young people will build a more just society, and added: “We will not forget them.” Unlike last year, when Vucic was in power, Sunday's anniversary memorial was broadcast by state RTS television, following resignations among officials at the station in the post-election week, and commemoration ceremonies were also held in other cities and towns throughout Serbia, AP reported.