On December 22, 2024, tens of thousands of people gathered in Belgrade to protest against the government of President Aleksandar Vucic. The protests were triggered by the collapse of a train station in Novi Sad on November 1, which resulted in the deaths of 15 individuals.
The demonstration, one of the largest in recent years in Serbia, was organized by students and agricultural unions. Protesters gathered in Slavija Square, demanding the resignation of the government and the release of all documentation related to the renovation of the collapsed station.
Protesters displayed banners with messages such as: “Your hands are stained with blood,” “Prison, not resignations,” and “Students do not remain silent; mathematicians have calculated: the number of fulfilled demands is 0.”
Visnja, a student, expressed the protesters' demands, stating, “What we want first is for the government to stop lying and to end the corruption synonymous with this government.” Despite government claims of having met the protesters' demands, student demonstrations continue.
Over 50 faculties in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Nis, and Kragujevac remain blocked due to student protests calling for accountability for the Novi Sad station incident. Prominent actors from Serbia's film and theater community joined the protest, with actor Bane Trifunovic describing the gathering as “a festival of freedom.”
In a show of confidence, President Vucic inaugurated a newly constructed highway segment in central Serbia on the same day. He stated that he would not yield to opposition demands for a transitional government and accused opponents of using students to gain power. “We will defeat them again,” Vucic declared, asserting that the opposition does not know how to act except to exploit the children of others.
Authorities have arrested 13 individuals in connection with the Novi Sad tragedy, including a government minister, whose subsequent release raised public skepticism regarding the integrity of the investigation.