Thousands of people took to the streets of Novi Sad on November 5, demanding accountability from Serbian officials after a tragic canopy collapse at the city’s railway station killed 14 people and seriously injured three others. The protest was mainly peaceful, but there were some violent incidents. 

The reaction to the tragedy in Novi Sad has revealed the extent of public frustration with the current government and the polarisation in Serbian society. Critics of the government say this could spur a wave of further protests, similar to those which followed Serbia’s 2023 mass shootings, which saw tens of thousands marching for governmental change.

Eyewitnesses reported large crowds at the protest, with Danas, one of Serbia’s main newspapers, estimating up to 10,000 people gathered in the streets. A heavy police presence, including officers in riot gear, guarded key locations like the City Hall building.

The protest started at 6pm with a minute’s silence as participants displayed photographs of the victims. As the crowd approached the City Hall, protesters chanted “Vucic the killer” and “resignations”.

“The opposition is planning to cause riots and demolish the city,” state-affiliated media alleged in reports circulated just as the protests began at 6pm. However, opposition leaders accused the government of trying to discredit the demonstrators by portraying them as violent rioters.

Bojan Pajtic, a former head of the Vojvodina government, claimed the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) distributed baseball bats to groups of football hooligans instructed to incite violence and cause property damage.

To counter the alleged provocations, opposition parties organised their own security to monitor the demonstration, claiming they would “record and take pictures” of any instigators. “We want these agents of chaos to be fully exposed,” opposition figures stated.

The protest did indeed turn violent when several masked men tried to forcibly enter the city hall, throwing stones, smashing windows and painting the building red, prompting the police to respond with tear gas. Some masked protesters also threw stones at offices of the ruling SNS.

Political tensions are rising, with demands for the resignation of Novi Sad Mayor Milan Duric and Prime Minister Milos Vucevic. Serbia’s construction minister, Goran Vesic, has already resigned, following a protest in Belgrade on November 3.

Protesters are also calling for the arrest of those responsible for the station’s failed reconstruction and for full transparency on any undisclosed contracts involving Chinese companies linked to the project.

Another protest is scheduled to take place in Belgrade later this week, as calls for resignations continue.