Novi Sad came to a standstill today as residents paused to remember the 14 lives lost in the recent tragedy at the city’s railway station. The accident, which happened 14 days ago, also left three people seriously injured. At exactly 11:56 a.m., the time of the incident, the city observed 14 minutes of silence, with people standing on streets and drivers stepping out of their cars in quiet solidarity.
The initiative to honor the victims came from opposition parties in the Novi Sad City Assembly. Gathering at the intersection of Jasa Tomic Boulevard and Liberation Boulevard near the station, they called on citizens to stand with the grieving families. The organizers also expressed frustration over the lack of accountability, as no suspects have been named in the investigation.
In front of the railway station, a black ribbon was unfurled, and 14 black balloons were released under the canopy, symbolizing each life lost in the tragedy.
The solemn tribute extended beyond Novi Sad. In the village of Kisac, where one of the severely injured victims, Teodora M., lives, local farmers stopped traffic for 14 minutes in her honor.
In Belgrade, opposition members of parliament mirrored the gesture by unfurling a black banner beneath the canopy of the National Assembly building. They then stepped into the street to block traffic as a sign of protest and solidarity.
Today’s commemoration in Novi Sad was organized by a coalition of opposition groups, including the Coalition NADA, Kreni Promeni, the “Bravo” Movement, the People’s Movement of Serbia, the Ecological Uprising, the Party of Freedom and Justice (SSP), the Movement for Change, the Democratic Party (DS), the PSG, the Green-Left Front, the “Heroes” citizens’ group, and an independent councilor from the League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina (LSV).
The collective pause served not only as a moment of mourning but as a call for justice and accountability in the face of an unresolved tragedy.
Novi Sad pic.twitter.com/VtGzoiSaeD
— Ivana (@IvRadoicic) November 15, 2024
