Serbia Thousands of Serbs start new year with silent protest
Thousands of people in Serbia marked the transition into the new year with a silent protest.
01.01.2025, 05:08
SDA
In the capital Belgrade and the northern city of Novi Sad, the participants in the student-led demonstrations observed 15 minutes of silence from 11.52 pm to 00.07 am, according to media reports. They were commemorating the 15 people killed in the Novi Sad train station roof collapse on November 1.
The accident, which occurred after reconstruction work was allegedly carried out improperly, shook the entire country and triggered a huge wave of protests against the government of President Aleksandar Vucic. Students from more than 50 faculties occupied their universities. They attribute the tragedy of Novi Sad to the incompetence and corruption of those in power.
On New Year's Eve, students demonstrated with posters bearing inscriptions such as "There is no new year, you still owe us the old one". Shortly beforehand, Vucic had given one of his frequent interviews on the pro-government TV station Prva, in which he said that he was not afraid of the students. He invited them to talk, he said, but they would not come because "they have no arguments". Student representatives had demanded in the past that institutions such as the public prosecutor's office and courts should be able to carry out their work without interference from politicians.
Although Vucic has more ceremonial powers as president according to the constitution, in reality he makes all important decisions in the country alone - by virtue of his informal power. The judiciary is also largely under his control.
