A three-hour blockade of Branko’s Bridge, one of Belgrade’s main thoroughfares, took place on Wednesday at the invitation of student protesters.
In their social media posts, the students explained that the blockade, under the slogan “To the Bridge Because We’ve Had Enough,” was organized to support the educators from Belgrade schools.
As planned, protesters gathered at several assembly points around the city, on both sides of the river, and marched through the city streets to converge at the bridge at 3 pm.
On their way to the bridge, representatives from the IT community, along with university and high school students, educators, and citizens, blew whistles and chanted “Students Have Risen.” They carried banners such as “Rebellious University, Rebel Yourself” and “Future Educators Are Here,” as well as Serbian flags and flags of their respective University of Belgrade schools.
Despite the rain, the atmosphere at the blockade of Branko’s Bridge was lively, accompanied by music. Performances were held on the bridge as part of the event.
A symbolic “Thread of Solidarity” was handed from the Old Town side of Branko’s Bridge over to the IT community gathered in New Belgrade. The IT professionals sent a message to the educators: “You Are Not Alone.”
Two representatives from the IT sector read speeches during the event.
“While they stripped away every fragment of dignity and authority from us, while education and culture were systematically degraded because an educated and enlightened person can never be a slave, the only thing that preserved our sanity was that childhood utopia—that good will triumph over evil, that it is important to be polite, to be a friend, and to help others,” they said.
Addressing the educators, the IT professionals emphasized that even though they completed their formal education long ago, they are learning from them now more than ever.
“You continue to gift us with light, Promethean in spirit, despite the forces threatening you. You have borne the greatest burden and made the greatest sacrifice, and now it is crucial to show you that you are not alone. The IT community has been with you from the start and will stand by you until the end of this fight, in every possible way,” the representatives from the IT sector said.
The event included 19 minutes of silence for the 19 victims of the May 3, 2023 Belgrade Vladislav Ribnikar elementary school shooting and of the May 4, 2023 mass shooting and in the villages of Malo Orasje and Dubona. Following the silence, 19 white roses were placed in the Sava River.
At the end of the blockade, 16 minutes of silence were held for the victims of the November 1 canopy collapse at Novi Sad main train station, during which the names of the victims were read, and 16 white roses were thrown from the bridge.
