Mainstream WeeklySerbia has been shaken in recent months by student-led protests. What began as an isolated demonstration to honour the dead and demand accountability after a railway station canopy collapsed in Novi Sad has quickly evolved into a mass movement that is presenting Aleksandar Vucic with his most severe test yet.
In late 2024, students in Serbia initiated a wave of protests, leading to the occupation of university buildings, the blockade of schools, and demonstrations in cities across the country. The catalyst for this mass mobilisation was the tragic collapse of a concrete railway station canopy in Novi Sad on 1 November, which claimed 15 lives. The disaster shocked the country and fuelled demands for accountability; the station had recently been renovated as part of a Chinese-led upgrade of Serbia