Bridges of protest: Serbian citizens demand systemic change
Tens of thousands gathered on Saturday on the streets of Novi Sad, a city in the north of Serbia, to block all three bridges for an entire day. Exactly three months earlier, an accident occurred that sparked a wave of mass protests across the country.
The city's streets were filled with both local residents and people from various parts of the country. The crowds enthusiastically greeted columns of cars, motorcycles, and people arriving by train and bus with applause. From early morning, the sounds of car horns, chants, and whistles, which have accompanied all protests organised since November, could be heard.
Serbs take to the streets. Red card for the authorities
In Serbia's second-largest city, hundreds of police officers were deployed to ensure the safety of the demonstrators and manage traffic on the blocked streets.
According to the organisers' plan, at 3 PM GMT, a three-hour blockade of all three bridges in Novi Sad began. One of them – the Freedom Bridge – will remain closed for 24 hours.
Each bridge was blocked by tractors driven by farmers who joined the student protest, as well as by thousands of people carrying anti-government banners, Serbian flags, whistles, and trumpets.
"This has been going on for too long and too many people have woken up for the protests not to bring about change," said one participant of the blockade to PAP. "The resignation of the prime minister doesn't change anything. We want to change the system, not just its faces," added a protesting student.
Among the thousands of banners, many were directly aimed at the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, and other high-ranking officials. They featured slogans like "Goodbye, buddy" with a caricature of the president and a paraphrase of a quote from a famous Serbian song: "Many governments have fallen, and you will fall too, AV."
In several locations in the city, places were organised where food and water were distributed. Near the Freedom Bridge, a "tent city" was set up for those planning to spend the night at the blockade. Protest participants are taking part in small concerts, playing cards, and warming themselves by campfires.
Catastrophe in Serbia
The wave of protests in Serbia began after a construction disaster that occurred on 1 November last year at the railway station in Novi Sad. As a result of the partial collapse of the building's roof, 15 people lost their lives. Demonstrators accuse the authorities of corruption and negligence, which they claim led to the tragedy. On Tuesday, in response to the protests, Prime Minister Miloš Vučević and Novi Sad Mayor Milan Đurić resigned.
The students organising the protests demand the disclosure of all contracts regarding the renovation of the station, punishment of those responsible for attacks on demonstrators, withdrawal of charges against protest participants, and an increase in spending on higher education by 20 per cent.
The Serbian government and president have assured that all demands have already been met or will be fulfilled shortly. However, students have responded that none of them have been fully realised so far.
