From railway tragedy to gov’t change: Serbia’s two-year fight for justice

Sunday marks two years since 16 people were killed when a train station canopy collapsed in the Serbian city of Novi Sad.The accident prompted student-led protests which swiftly evolved into a wider political campaign that brought the Student List opposition movement to power last week.Here is a timeline of events from the tragedy in Novi Sad on November 1, 2024, to the elections that led to a change of government in Serbia.November 1, 2024 – The collapse of a concrete canopy on the renovated Novi Sad railway station building kills 14 people at the scene, with three others taken to hospital in critical condition. Two of them later die of their injuries in November 2024 and March 2025, bringing the total number of victims to 16. The tragedy leads to public outrage, raising questions about the quality of the work, lack of transparency in the spending of public money and endemic corruption.November 5, 2024 – Just four days after the accident, thousands of protesters gather in Novi Sad to demand accountability for those responsible. The protests escalate into clashes with police, with dozens of protesters arrested and City Hall damaged. Observers point to the swift judicial response to...