In Serbia, all trains across the country were halted ahead of a mass protest 0 16

In Serbia, railway communication was completely halted on Saturday ahead of another major protest by students and the opposition in Belgrade.

The announcement of the temporary suspension of services appeared at 4:15 AM on the website of the railway operator Srbija Voz. The reasons for the decision were not officially stated.

This is not the first such case. Previously, railway communication in the country was also stopped ahead of mass protests that took place in the capital.

The current wave of protests began after the tragedy in the city of Novi Sad, where a canopy collapsed at the railway station in November 2024. Sixteen people died in that incident.

After the disaster, students from Serbian universities became one of the main driving forces of the protest movement. Participants in the demonstrations accuse the authorities of corruption and negligence and demand the resignation of President Aleksandar Vučić.

In recent months, protests in Serbia have become some of the largest in a long time. Tens of thousands of people have already taken to the streets of Belgrade.

According to the organizers, a comparable number of participants is expected on Saturday evening at Slavija Square in central Belgrade.

The authorities, in turn, have intensified their response to the protest movement. Reports indicate the detention of activists and organizers of the events.

Earlier, official structures explained the halt of trains by "anonymous bomb threats." However, many observers believed that this was a way for the authorities to prevent residents from other regions from coming to the protests in the capital.

What is happening is becoming an increasingly serious political test for Serbia. The protests have been ongoing for many months and are gradually going far beyond just a reaction to the tragedy in Novi Sad.

The situation in the country remains tense, and attention to the protests in Belgrade continues beyond Serbia.