Novi Sad mourners defy Vucic crackdown

Tens of thousands filled Novi Sad to mark a year since a rail station canopy collapse killed 16, turning remembrance into a sweeping rebuke of President Aleksandar Vucic’s rule. Students led moments of 16-minute silence, laid wreaths and lit candles, while speakers accused corruption and nepotism in state projects with China; 13 people have been charged, but none held responsible. A victim’s mother vowed a hunger strike. Despite recent police crackdowns and canceled trains, crowds arrived by road. EU enlargement chief Marta Kos praised calls for accountability and inclusive democracy.