North Mitrovica students and citizens gathered once again today in a solemn 15-minute silence to honor the victims of the Novi Sad railway station canopy collapse. The tribute, organized by students of the temporarily relocated University of Pristina in North Mitrovica, took place on the city promenade near Knez Lazar Square.
Symbolically held at 11:52 AM—the exact time the canopy collapsed on November 1, killing 15 people and severely injuring two—the silent protest saw the participation of around a hundred people. As in previous gatherings, a significant number of older citizens joined the students, showing their solidarity.
Some attendees held banners bearing messages such as: “Those who knew you won’t fear even hell,” “Who can study when conscience weighs them down?” “Corruption—the most expensive Serbian word,” and “We live in peace, freedom, and the rule of law; we have everything—except a red pen.” Another banner listed the names of all those who lost their lives in the tragedy.
Widespread Support, Including from the Diaspora
The gathering was monitored by the Kosovo Police, as previous ones had been. Among those present was Marija Simić, who has lived abroad for four years. She traveled to support the movement, emphasizing the diaspora’s backing of the students:
“I hope we succeed. We must all fight together for a better society and a better future,” she stated before the moment of silence.
Jana Simić, a student at the University of Belgrade’s Faculty of Electrical Engineering and originally from Leposavić, also attended. A participant in multiple student protests in Serbia’s capital, she took the opportunity to support her colleagues in Mitrovica while visiting her hometown.
“We all see the need for change in our society. Together, we can achieve our goals for a better country and a better life,” she said.
Jana also plans to join fellow Mitrovica students traveling to Niš for another major protest.
“I’ll likely go from here. I heard that Joe Travel is organizing transportation, so I’ll go with them,” she added.
Continuing the Fight for Justice
The students’ primary goal remains supporting their peers across Serbia in their demands for accountability. Luka Pečenković, a student at the Faculty of Philosophy in North Mitrovica, highlighted the significance of these gatherings:
“All of this is to support our colleagues until their demands are met. That’s why we’re also heading to Niš. Beyond that, we aim to unite, as seen in Kragujevac and, hopefully, in future protests,” he explained.
He could not specify how many people would travel to Niš but noted that registrations were being monitored.
This was the sixth 15-minute silent gathering held in North Mitrovica to honor the Novi Sad victims, and the fifth organized by students. The first was independently arranged by local resident Srđan Đorđević on January 24.
While the University of Pristina in North Mitrovica is not officially blocked, a group of students continues to demonstrate solidarity with their peers in central Serbia.
They joined the mass student gathering on February 15 in Kragujevac and are preparing to travel to Niš on March 1, where students from across the country will converge for another major protest and an 18-hour blockade.
“See you in Niš—united to keep up the fight,” read one of the messages from Mitrovica students heading to the event. Once again, Joe Travel will provide free transportation.
Student Demands and Government Response
The November 1 collapse of the Novi Sad railway station canopy and the subsequent government response have mobilized thousands of students across Serbia, who are demanding accountability. They have put forward five key demands:
1. Public release of all documentation related to the railway station’s reconstruction, which has been unlawfully concealed despite being a public project.
2. Dropping all charges against protesters who were arrested or detained.
3. Filing criminal charges against individuals accused of physically attacking students and professors.
4. Immediate identification and legal prosecution of those individuals. If any hold public office, students demand their removal.
5. A 20% increase in funding for public universities to improve education quality.
The government has repeatedly claimed that these demands have been met, a statement students strongly dispute. On Sunday, National Assembly President Ana Brnabić held an emergency press conference ahead of the upcoming march, asserting that the fourth, that is, the fifth demand had been fulfilled.
Despite this, broad public support continues to grow, with students receiving backing from teachers, farmers, public figures, healthcare workers, traders, and ordinary citizens. However, the Serbian government has yet to endorse their cause.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
