NOVI SAD, Serbia -- On May 1, thousands of Serbians marked six months since the collapse of a railway station canopy that killed 16 people and triggered one of the country’s largest protest movements in recent memory.
At precisely 11:52 a.m. -- the moment the canopy collapsed on November 1 --demonstrators stood in silence outside the Novi Sad Railway Station.
Students and others lit candles and laid flowers in memory of the victims.
"Novi Sad remembers," reads a newly erected memorial plaque placed by students on the lawn in front of the station.
"The station building is a reminder of what happens to a nation when corruption creeps into every pore of society," one of the students told a crowd in Novi Sad.
Those attending the solemn gathering then took part in a protest march through central Novi Sad, culminating at the city's Freedom Bridge.
Protesters commemorate the victims of the canopy collapse outside Novi Sad's railway station on May 1.
During the march, a serious incident occurred when a vehicle attempted to drive into the crowd.
According to reports, the driver bypassed police guards and sped into a group of protesters.
The car stopped just short of the crowd, and no injuries were reported.
Police arrested two individuals in connection with the incident.
Thousands of protesters also packed the streets of Serbia’s capital, Belgrade, as students and five major trade union federations united in one of the largest coordinated May Day demonstrations in recent years, demanding changes to labor laws and greater protections for workers.
Cedanka Antic, the president of the united branch of Serbian trade unions "Nezavisnost,"called on the government to act as soon as possible.
"Together, trade unions and students can achieve this goal," she added.
The protests are part of a broader movement that has gripped Serbia since the fatal collapse of the railway station canopy in November and may be the biggest challenge yet to the increasingly authoritarian rule of President Aleksandar Vucic.
"Corruption and institutional negligence led to the deaths of 16 people. We are outraged that this happened and that no one has been held accountable," said a student who addressed the crowd in Belgrade.
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What's Behind The Student-Led Protests In Serbia?
Student protesters have been demonstrating and blocking their university departments for months in opposition to what they say is the crumbling rule of law and systemic corruption under Vucic, the president since 2017 and prime minister for three years before that.
Tens of thousands of people have also taken to the streets to demonstrate in over 200 cities and towns.
SEE ALSO: The Doctor Is In: Serbia's Vucic Taps Endocrinologist To Treat Political PressureThe public outcry has rattled Serbia’s leadership. In January, Prime Minister Milos Vucevic resigned amid the mounting pressure, though no high-level officials have yet been held accountable for the collapse.
An indictment against 13 suspects for the failures that led to the accident, including former state officials, has not yet been confirmed.