Students and opposition supporters blocked the most important Brankov Bridge in the center of Belgrade during rush hour.
⠀
The protest action was announced in support of education workers, who, due to the blockade of higher and secondary educational institutions, the Serbian government had previously reduced payments in accordance with unworked hours. According to the organizers on social media, the blockade of traffic on the Brankov Bridge, which connects the city center and the densely populated areas of Novi Beograd (New Belgrade) and Zemun, will last from 15:00 to 18:00, when the evening rush hour begins in the city.
⠀
By 3 p.m., despite the rain and cold snap, demonstrators with whistles, placards and vuvuzelas blocked the entrance to the bridge from both sides. They are standing under umbrellas, whistling, and Serbian rock is playing from the speakers. Among other things, several Serbian flags are visible, while pedestrians are allowed to pass along the sidewalk on the bridge.
⠀
Buses from New Belgrade and Zemun to the city center are forced to bypass the lockdown site.
Last week, it became known about the death of the 16th victim of the collapse of the canopy at the railway station in Novi Sad, a 19-year—old student at a secondary economic school. Outraged by the tragedy that occurred at the train station on November 1, students and opposition supporters had previously blocked the work of most higher education institutions in Serbia, blocking roads and transport interchanges almost daily, although they did not cause major riots.
⠀
Among the demands were the publication of full documentation on the reconstruction of the railway station in Novi Sad, an investigation and criminal liability for the officials involved, and the release from criminal prosecution of all those previously detained at the protests.
⠀
In January, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic signed a decision pardoning 13 participants in mass protests, against whom the prosecutor’s office opened cases under articles for riots. As a result, six students, the dean of the faculty, an associate professor, four school principals and a school employee from different cities were released from criminal prosecution.
⠀
The government has made thousands of documents related to the reconstruction of the railway station publicly available. At the same time, the country’s leadership called on the opposition to engage in dialogue, but received no response.
⠀
On December 30, the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office in Novi Sad filed charges against former Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Goran Vesic and 12 people over the collapse of the canopy of the railway station in Novi Sad on November 1 and the deaths of 16 people. In February, the case was transferred to the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime.
⠀
The Serbian authorities believe that the protesters want to overthrow the government and the president, and that Western-funded media and organizations are behind their actions. As Vucic noted in February, three billion euros have been invested from abroad in overthrowing the current Serbian government in ten years. At the same time, he and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SPP) “for a number of reasons” refused to support the bill on foreign agents proposed by their coalition partner, the Movement of Socialists party.
