BELGRADE, Serbia — On Sunday, outraged demonstrators marked the entrances of government buildings in the Serbian capital with red handprints as they called for the arrest of officials responsible for the recent tragedy at a railway station. This protest came just two days after a concrete canopy collapsed, resulting in the deaths of 14 people and injuring three others.
Thousands gathered outside the Ministry of Construction and Infrastructure in central Belgrade, demanding the resignation of prominent government figures, including Prime Minister Milos Vucevic. Shouting “Arrest, arrest!” the crowd confronted police, accusing them of protecting those responsible for the disaster and denouncing the situation with slogans like “corruption kills” and “we are all under the canopy!”
Opposition activist Nikola Ristic urged demonstrators to leave red handprints everywhere they could, symbolizing blood on the hands of those in power. “Everywhere you can, leave bloody hands so they know their hands are bloody. In every city in Serbia, everywhere you can,” he stated emphatically.
The concrete awning at the Novi Sad railway station unexpectedly fell on a Friday, striking people seated on benches as well as those entering the building. Footage from surveillance cameras captured the canopy’s rapid collapse. Among the deceased was a six-year-old girl, and the three injured individuals, aged between 18 and 24, underwent amputations and remained in critical condition as of Sunday. Funerals for the casualties attracted large crowds in northern Serbia.
Critics blame the recent collapse on widespread corruption, lack of oversight, and poor renovation practices, pointing to the station’s two revitalization projects in recent years as part of a contract with Chinese construction firms. “Citizens no longer have anything to lose; they are increasingly becoming aware of this,” remarked liberal politician Biljana Stojkovic, highlighting the blend of grief and anger that has evolved into outrage among the population.
While Serbia’s government has promised a comprehensive inquiry and claims that over two dozen individuals have been questioned, skeptics doubt that any meaningful justice will emerge due to the populist government’s control over the judiciary and law enforcement agencies.
Officials have maintained that the fallen canopy was not part of the renovation efforts, yet they have not clarified why it was not addressed during these upgrades. Originally established in 1964, the recently refurbished Novi Sad railway station was inaugurated over two years ago by President Aleksandar Vucic and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán as a key node in the planned high-speed rail line connecting Belgrade and Budapest.