In Belgrade, starting today, there will always be one member of parliament among those who defend the Old Sava Bridge, it was agreed at a meeting of the opposition and representatives of organizations that oppose the demolition of the bridge.
As announced by Đorđe Miketić, the activist of the "Most Remains" initiative, it has been agreed to form another camp, on the bridge itself, on its New Belgrade side, writes the Nova.rs portal.
In addition to representatives of the Initiative "The Bridge Remains", the meeting was attended by representatives of the Freedom and Justice Party (SSP), the National Movement of Serbia (NPS), the Movement of Free Citizens (PSG) and the Serbia Center Party (SRCE).
On the first night, SSP MP Branko Miljuš will be on duty.
Miketić said that they are in contact with the representatives of the Democratic Party (DS), the Ecological Uprising, the Movement "Kreni prameni", the Green-Left Front, as well as the movements "Borba", "Sviće" and the Local Front, which support this action.
Deputy President of SSP Borko Stefanović assessed that the meeting was important, because it was necessary to reach an agreement on how many people and when they would be on duty shifts.
In a statement for N1, he acknowledged SSP MPs Marinika Tepić and Mili Popović for being on the bridge between two police cordons since this morning.
Stefanović assessed that the behavior of the police officers shows that they are uncomfortable and that, as he said, "they don't have that passion in their eyes to break people's bones."
Stefanović told Beta Agency this morning that activists of the opposition parties and the initiative "The Bridge Remains" managed to get to the Old Sava Bridge in Belgrade and prevent its demolition, even though the police prevented them from doing so.
He said that around 5.30:XNUMX this morning he came to the bridge to prevent its illegal demolition and that was when he came into contact with the police.
"We tried to get to the bridge that was blocked by the police. We surprised them. While we were approaching the bridge, some policemen tried to stop us. There was a push, but the action was successful. People from opposition tenants and the initiative 'The Bridge Remains' are there. No work can be carried out nor can machines approach," Stefanović told the Beta agency earlier. He then said that there are police on the bridge standing in a cordon and added that the situation is calm.
Miketić: A camp will also be formed on the New Belgrade side
Agency Beta previously announced that activists who oppose the demolition of Belgrade's Old Sava Bridge will discuss with representatives of activist and political organizations about the formation of a camp on the Novobragrad side at 13 p.m.
This is what the activist of the initiative "The bridge remains" Đorđe Miketić told the Beta agency, who also said earlier that the situation on the bridge is now calm.
"We have just erected a small, larger caravan on the freed part of the bridge, that is the slightly larger tent, and there will be a meeting there at 13.00:XNUMX PM with all the activist and political organizations that can come," he said earlier today.
He added that the idea is for activists, citizens and political organizations, just like when setting up the first camp, at the end of October, to build the camp together on the New Belgrade side and to prevent the works.
According to him, it will be "preventing the illegal demolition of the bridge".
He also said that the situation on the bridge has now calmed down, and added that at the beginning, "during the invasion of activists and the opposition, there was a push with the police, because they themselves did not know what was happening.
"We don't want any conflict with them (the police), we just want to disable the machines from continuing to work," Miketić said earlier.
SSP: The police are acting illegally, they tried to push two MPs off the Old Sava bridge
The Freedom and Justice Party (SSP) announced that the police on Belgrade's Stari Sava bridge today "unsuccessfully tried to push out" two members of parliament from that party who, together with activists, oppose its demolition.
That opposition party stated in a press release that "it was the regime police who attacked MPs from the Party of Freedom and Justice, Marinika Tepić and Mila Popović."
They added that "the police unsuccessfully tried to push them out from the other side of the cordon on the Old Sava bridge".
The SSP stated that "since this morning, the police have been acting illegally towards MPs".
"If they haven't understood by now, we are telling them, we are here to defend, the bridge will remain," the announcement reads.
Mali: The new Sava Bridge will be completed by the end of 2026
Serbian Finance Minister Siniša Mali said today that the new Sava Bridge will be built by the end of 2026 and assessed that it will be safer, more functional and more beautiful than the old bridge.
Mali wrote on Instagram that the new bridge will have a total of six traffic lanes, four of which will be for cars and two for trams.
He stated that thanks to the new bridge, the number of passengers on the Branko Bridge will be reduced by eight percent, on the Gazela by five percent, and on the Ada Bridge by four percent.
"Pedestrian and bicycle paths will be installed on both sides, so that the new bridge will be fully adapted for pedestrians and cyclists," the minister added.
The old Sava bridge is closed to traffic and its demolition is planned, but activists and part of the opposition oppose it.
Bonus video:
