In Rain and Silence, Novi Sad Marks Two Years Since the Canopy Collapse
Thousands gathered at the railway station a week after the movement born from the tragedy won the election.
Thousands of people gathered outside Novi Sad railway station on Sunday, 1 November, to mark two years since its concrete canopy collapsed and killed 16 people, among them two sisters aged six and ten.
Students arrived after a silent march through the rain carrying wreaths, and the crowd observed 16 minutes of silence in front of a memorial with 16 hearts. Residents told reporters that grief was still mixed with anger, but that, unlike last year, they now had hope that those responsible would be brought to account.
From tragedy to a change of government
The collapse at the newly renovated station, part of a wider railway reconstruction project with China and Hungary, triggered the student-led protests that grew into the largest in Serbia in decades. A week before the anniversary, the Student List born from that movement won an absolute majority in parliament.
An independent group of experts concluded that the renovation had been rushed under political pressure and pointed to a systematic decline in construction standards. The judicial investigation into the cause of the collapse is still not complete.
The head of the EU delegation in Serbia, Andreas von Beckerath, wrote that the collapse had shaken the country and moved citizens to demand transparency and accountability.
Sources
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