Serbian Railways Halt All Services as 100,000 Protest in Belgrade Over Corruption

The protest movement was triggered by a fatal infrastructure collapse in November 2024, when a concrete canopy at the railway station in Novi Sad fell, killing 16 people. Students, who have been leading the rallies ever since, blame the disaster on government negligence and endemic corruption.

A Movement Rooted in Tragedy

Architecture student Andjela told AFP: "Das Ziel des Protests heute ist es, dass wir uns alle wieder versammeln und den Menschen klarmachen, dass wir immer noch hier sind, dass wir kämpfen und arbeiten, dass wir nicht aufgehört haben und nicht aufhören werden." (The goal of the protest today is for us to all gather again and make it clear to people that we are still here, that we are fighting and working, that we have not stopped and will not stop.)

Retiree Zoran Savic said the demonstration sent a 'clear message' that Serbia must become 'a democratic state governed by the rule of law' and part of the European Union.

Authorities have responded to the months-long protests with force. According to activists, police have used violence against demonstrators and arbitrarily arrested organizers and supporters, whom officials label as 'blockers.'

Government Crackdown and Railway Chaos

The railway shutdown compounded the disruption. The newspaper Danas reported that an international night train from Bar, Montenegro to Belgrade was forced to stop in the town of Požega, leaving travelers stranded. In 2025, similar service interruptions were blamed on 'anonymous bomb threats,' raising suspicion about the timing of the current halt.

President Aleksandar Vučić, whose Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) has been in power since 2012, has sought to project a democratic image. He recently stated that he would accept defeat in any future election. However, critics say such gestures are undercut by minimal electoral reform.

According to official data, only five of the 25 recommendations made by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) have been implemented. Rasa Nedeljkov of the non-governmental election watchdog CRTA dismissed the changes as 'kosmetischen Änderungen' (cosmetic changes).