Citizens rally again after deadly Sarajevo tram accident

Protest participants assembled at 1 pm near the intersection by the Mechanical Engineering School, where the accident took place. The gathering was called by unofficial organizers – an informal group of students and pupils, through the Instagram profile "hocel.ta.promjena", which had previously been used to invite citizens to take to the streets.

After a minute of silence in honor of Erdoan Morankic, the procession headed toward the Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor's Office, where they had announced they would remain for a longer period to present their demands and messages.

Speakers at the protest said participants were dissatisfied with what they heard at the press conference held on Wednesday, February 25, by Sarajevo Canton Chief Prosecutor Meliha Dugalija and Police Commissioner of the Sarajevo Canton Ministry of Interior Fatmir Hajdarevic, and that they would continue to insist on their demands.

Unlike previous protests, today’s gathering drew fewer citizens and young people, but participants emphasized they would persist until their demands are met.

The main road near the National Museum was temporarily blocked, causing traffic disruptions toward the city center.

Some of the demands voiced at the previous protest held on Saturday, February 21, included protection of the right to peaceful assembly and prosecution of those responsible for the state of public transportation.

Organizers stated that authorities must not obstruct the protests or exert pressure on participants, and called for the tram accident investigation to be conducted fully, within a reasonable timeframe, with findings made public.

They also demanded that the Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor’s Office urgently expand the investigation to the entire public transport sector, arguing that the accident was not an isolated incident. Among their demands are the convening of an emergency session of the Sarajevo Canton Assembly within seven days, acceptance of the current government’s resignation, and the immediate appointment of a new one.

Protesters also called for a comprehensive overhaul of public transportation, including improvements to infrastructure, working conditions, staffing, and service quality, in cooperation with the GRAS trade union and with greater citizen participation.

They further stressed the need to end what they described as party-based management of public assets and to initiate the reorganization of public companies to enable greater public oversight of their work.

At the February 25 press conference, Chief Prosecutor Meliha Dugalija and Police Commissioner Fatmir Hajdarevic stated that 50 witnesses have been questioned so far, numerous surveillance videos from buildings near the accident site have been collected, along with extensive documentation related to the reconstruction of the tram tracks. All materials are currently undergoing forensic analysis and expert examination.