After the fall of communism, a lot of these buildings were either not properly maintained or have largely been left in disrepair. The Novi Sad train station was built in 1964 and in dire need of a facelift. It was being upgraded starting in 2021 and retrofitted as part of China’s Belt and Road initiative, intending to modernize the Belgrade-Novi Sad-Budapest line and to integrate it into China’s broader vision of an uninterrupted Budapest-Belgrade-Skopje-Athens corridor, ultimately linking to the Chinese-operated port of Piraeus in Athens.
Vučić has boasted about how Belt and Road investments have significantly sped up travel times both on rail and on the A1 highway linking the south and the north of the country, laying personal claim to the project. Given the deep-seated suspicion toward governments in the Balkans, many believe corruption, poorly drawn up contracts or a lack of expert oversight in the station’s modernization played a role in the collapse.
And why are university students boycotting classes?
The initial protests were organized by residents of Novi Sad, of all ages, who gathered in the center of the city to honor the victims of the tragedy.
As pro-government outlets and pundits started criticizing them, more people began to protest — including the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade that gathered in the vicinity of their university building on Nov. 22.
Professors and students were attacked during the protest by what they claim was an organized group unaffiliated with the movement, triggering outrage and prompting students to “occupy” their universities in defiance. One by one, more universities and faculties across the country joined in, suspending classes and deepening their commitment to the cause.
Students’ ability to protest almost daily — unlike many citizens who might be equally outraged but can’t step away from jobs or family responsibilities — has helped sustain the movement. Those not on the front lines every day contribute in other ways, such as by cooking meals, buying blankets and supplies, and delivering them to the occupied universities.
