Tens of thousands of students and other opponents of Serbia’s populist president are converging on the northern city of Novi Sad for the massive commemoration of the victims of a tragedy a year ago that killed 16 people.
Ahead of the commemorative rally, momentum has been building in favor of opposition demands for major changes in the Balkan country, after nearly a year of student-led anti-government protests that have seriously shaken President Aleksandar Vucic and his firm grip on power.
As thousands of protesters arrive in Novi Sad from all over the country, Vucic has threatened mass arrests if the mourners turn to violence, and defiantly said his supporters are planning “a much bigger” rally in the city later in November.
He has also tried to downplay the expected size and importance of the commemorative opposition rally.
When asked by a TV reporter to comment on the commemoration on Saturday, Vucic said: “What is happening in Novi Sad? Is some soccer match being played?”
He said that “many will be disappointed due to excessive expectations from the rally,” adding that “there will be no change of government.”
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Most of the student led-protests have so far been peaceful, with sporadic incidents caused by Vucic supporters. However, tensions are boiling after a year of protests and emotions are high.
Riot police have cracked down hard against the protesters. Hundreds of Vucic’s opponents have been arrested for taking part in the previous anti-government rallies, including at least two huge demonstrations in the capital, Belgrade.
People are expected to gather in several separate rallies throughout Novi Sad, a tactic believed to be designed to make it more difficult for the police to intervene than if one central rally was held at a single location.
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The catalyst for monthslong protests was the deadly collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad on Nov. 1, 2024 which resulted in 16 fatalities. This incident has been widely attributed to governmental negligence, endemic corruption and shady deals made with Chinese construction companies that took part in the recent renovations of the station.
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At the same time Vucic has described the protests as a ploy organized in the West to oust him from power. Vucic has sought and obtained support from Russia’s President Vladimir Putin as well as China while cracking down on liberal rights groups at home.
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According to reports, the Novi Sad station’s modernization was a key component of a high-profile infrastructure project aimed at upgrading the railway link between Belgrade and Budapest, which has itself become a symbol of Serbia’s growing cooperation with China. Completed in the summer of 2024, the $1.5 billion project – funded through a loan agreement between the Serbian government, China’s Exim Bank, and the Russian government under the China-CEEC cooperation framework – was hailed as a milestone in regional connectivity.