Serbian Prime Minister Miloš Vučević resigned on Tuesday following massive student protests that had paralyzed vital roads in multiple cities for 15 minutes every day since November. The protests began after the roof of a railway station in the northern city of Novi Sad collapsed, killing 15 people.
The incident initially sparked quiet vigils for the victims. However, the protests quickly spread and escalated, with demonstrators accusing Serbian authorities of negligence and corruption.
“Corruption kills,” protesters wrote on banners days after the collapse, demanding the full documentation of the roof's reconstruction. They alleged that the collapse was linked to rushed and poorly documented repairs on the canopy and called for a transparent investigation, demanding accountability from those in power.
The Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade led the first peaceful protests. Other universities and high schools soon joined in, and the movement spread nationwide. Students occupied faculty premises and staged weekly “Zastani, Srbijo!” (“Serbia, Stop”) traffic blockades from 11:52 a.m. to 12:07 p.m.—the exact time the canopy collapsed—to honor the 15 lives lost. These blockades soon became a daily occurrence.
Many protesters wore red gloves and waved white flags with red handprints, bearing slogans such as: “You have blood on your hands.”
Although the Public Prosecutor in Novi Sad filed charges against 13 officials involved in the canopy’s construction, including Serbian Traffic Minister Goran Vesić, the protests continued to grow, gaining widespread support from citizens and public figures.
Protesters faced violent retaliation, with individuals—allegedly supporters of President Aleksandar Vučić—driving through crowds and attacking demonstrators with baseball bats. Several protesters were injured, while others reported harassment from the country’s Security Intelligence Agency (BIA) and negative coverage in state-controlled media.
The protests reached a peak on Monday with a 24-hour blockade of Belgrade’s main traffic loop, as well as major streets and squares in other cities. Tens of thousands of protesters—students, teachers, lawyers, medical workers, and farmers—participated.
Amid speculation that President Vučić would declare a state of emergency, he addressed the nation on Monday evening, condemning the protests while announcing government reforms.
Following his statement, Prime Minister Vučević and his entire cabinet resigned, effective Tuesday morning.
“At this moment, the entire government is under a technical mandate… We will continue to perform our duties professionally and responsibly until a new government is elected or another political decision is made,” Vučević stated at a press conference.
He emphasized that his resignation was an act of political responsibility, intended to ease tensions and prevent further division among citizens.
“Politicians must take responsibility and work to calm the situation,” Vučević added, acknowledging that he and Novi Sad Mayor Milan Đurić—who also resigned—held themselves “objectively responsible” for the tragedy in Novi Sad.
Despite Vučević’s resignation, the protests continued, with President Vučić announcing that he would address the nation again soon.
