On 14 March 2025, more than 31,000 students from across Serbia, alongside the local students who welcomed them, gathered in Belgrade - Stari Grad, ending their march towards Belgrade following the planned protest for the upcoming day. The students demand accountability for the 15 victims of the Novi Sad railway station's canopy collapse.

Supply-chain Risk Briefing

1. Summary

On March 14, 2025, over 31,000 students held large-scale protests in Belgrade, Serbia, demanding accountability for the Novi Sad railway station canopy collapse incident (15 deaths). The demonstrations have remained peaceful so far, limiting immediate supply-chain disruption risks.

2. Supply-chain impact

• Belgrade logistics hub: Belgrade, Serbia's capital, serves as a major logistics hub in the Balkans, with potential for downtown traffic congestion and some transportation delays due to large-scale gatherings
• Danube River connected transport: Belgrade functions as a multimodal logistics node connecting Danube River shipping with overland transport, raising concerns about inland waterway-rail transshipment impacts if protests expand
• Balkan transit trade: Serbia serves as a key transit point on overland trade routes between the EU and Southwest Asia, with sustained political instability potentially increasing pressure for alternative route selection
• Agricultural logistics: Serbia is a grain and livestock exporter, with protests coinciding with the farming season (March planting period), requiring agricultural supply-chain monitoring

3. Watch points

• Protest expansion: Track spread of demonstrations beyond Belgrade to major cities (Novi Sad, Niš, etc.) and impact on transportation and logistics infrastructure accessibility
• Government response changes: While currently peaceful protests, potential shift to hardline government response could escalate social tensions and increase logistics disruption risks