Serbian students blockade a Danube bridge overnight as anti-graft movement grows

NOVI SAD, Serbia (AP) — Serbian students on Sunday blocked a bridge over the River Danube in the northern city of Novi Sad for over 24 hours as part of their growing anti-graft movement demanding major changes in the Balkan country.

Dozens of farmers parked their tractors by the Most Slobode, or Freedom Bridge, saying they wanted to guard the students from incidents and potential attacks by sympathizers of Serbia's powerful President Aleksandar Vucic. Novi Sad residents brought them tea and coffee, pancakes, pastry and cooked food.

The protesters decided to extend their protest for three additional hours while they cleaned up the area where they had been holding their colorful rally since Saturday. Thousands of people joined them on Sunday in a continuing show of support.

University students in Serbia are leading a massive anti-corruption movement that was triggered by the Nov. 1. collapse of a concrete canopy at the central train station in Novi Sad, killing 15 people.

Critics believe graft led to a sloppy job during the reconstruction of the train station, poor oversight and disrespect of safety regulations. The issue has come to symbolize a wider discontent over the rule of law in Serbia.

"Well, the only way to end this (protest) is that our all demands are met," said student Lucija Maslakovic. The students have demanded a thorough investigation, the publication of all documents related to the railway station renovation, and punishment for those responsible for the canopy collapse.

Daily protests throughout Serbia pose a major challenge for Vucic. The student-led movement already forced the resignation of Prime Minister Milos Vucevic, Vucic's ally, and the government earlier this week.

In his regular address against the student protests, Vucic on Sunday again delivered a mixed message, offering talks with striking university professors while issuing veiled treats against the demonstrators.

Indirectly accusing the protesters of working for foreign interests with the ultimate goal of toppling him by force, Vucic said on Instagram that the country cannot be ruled by someone chosen from outside the country.

“We don’t need governments imposed from the outside … without elections and without the will of the people,” he said.

Tightly controlled pro-government media have mostly ignored the protests, occasionally carrying fake news and photos that show empty streets and claiming that the Novi Sad rally was a “disaster” because of what they said was low turnout.

The state broadcaster RTS made a surprise exception on Saturday and carried live coverage of the protest in Novi Sad that was attended by tens of thousands.

Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party was quick to react, strongly condemning the “scandalous coverage" of the bridge blockades. The party said state TV had “violated all the rules and values ​​of objective and impartial journalism with its scandalous reports."

The students stayed at one of the Novi Sad bridges through the night after blocking all three city bridges on Saturday. Tens of thousands of people joined in on Saturday, swarming the streets in further pressure on the governing populists.

“I support them fully. I can’t believe how well they are organized, mature and good,” said Jelena Djordjevic, a university professor from Novi Sad. “They are just incredible.”

The student protest has struck a chord in graft-plagued Serbia, where few citizens feel that state institutions, which are firmly under populist control, are working in the public interest. Many believe that the collapse was essentially caused by government corruption in a large infrastructure project with Chinese state companies.

To pass the time on Saturday evening and overnight, the students played basketball and volleyball, listened to music, played chess or card games. In the morning, they could be seen clearing the garbage ahead of more protests.

Hundreds had walked from Belgrade to Novi Sad for two days ahead of the blockades.

At 11:52 p.m. on Saturday, the protesters held 15 minutes of silence for the 15 dead in the Nov. 1 canopy collapse. Two children were among the victims.

Associated Press writers Jovana Gec and Dusan Stojanovic in Belgrade, Serbia, contributed to this report.

Students wave next to the banner reading "Students will set the World free" as they block the Bridge of Freedom and protest over the collapse of a concrete canopy that killed 15 people more than two months ago, in Novi Sad, Serbia, Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Students hold a heart-shaped balloon as they prepare to end the blockage of the Bridge of Freedom and protest over the collapse of a concrete canopy that killed 15 people more than two months ago, in Novi Sad, Serbia, Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

An aerial view of people blocking the Bridge of Freedom during a protest over the collapse of a concrete canopy that killed 15 people more than two months ago, in Novi Sad, Serbia, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

A man holds up his mobile phone light during a minute of silence ceremony as he protests over the collapse of a concrete canopy that killed 15 people more than two months ago, in Novi Sad, Serbia, Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

People hold up their mobile phone lights during a minute of silence ceremony as they block the bridge and protest over the collapse of a concrete canopy that killed 15 people more than two months ago, in Novi Sad, Serbia, Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

People hold up their mobile phone lights during a minute of silence ceremony as they block the bridge and protest over the collapse of a concrete canopy that killed 15 people more than two months ago, in Novi Sad, Serbia, Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

People hold up their mobile phone lights as tens of thousands gather for a protest over the collapse of a concrete canopy that killed 15 people more than two months ago, in Novi Sad, Serbia, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

People hold up their mobile phone lights as tens of thousands gather for a protest over the collapse of a concrete canopy that killed 15 people more than two months ago, in Novi Sad, Serbia, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

People hold up their mobile phone lights during a protest over the collapse of a concrete canopy that killed 15 people more than two months ago, in Novi Sad, Serbia, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

People hold up their mobile phone lights as tens of thousands gather for a protest over the collapse of a concrete canopy that killed 15 people more than two months ago, in Novi Sad, Serbia, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

People rest at a park, while a protest was being held over the collapse of a concrete canopy that killed multiple people more than two months ago, in Novi Sad, Serbia, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

An aerial view of people blocking the Bridge of Freedom during a protest over the collapse of a concrete canopy that killed 15 people more than two months ago, in Novi Sad, Serbia, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

A man stands during a minute of silence ceremony as he protests over the collapse of a concrete canopy killed multiple people more than two months ago, in Novi Sad, Serbia, Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

People hold up their mobile phone lights during a minute of silence ceremony as they block the bridge during a protest over the collapse of a concrete canopy that killed multiple people more than two months ago, in Novi Sad, Serbia, Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Some 350,000 commuters who work in New Jersey and New York City could soon be scrambling for other ways to reach their destinations if New Jersey Transit engineers walk off the job early Friday.

NJ Transit — the nation’s third largest transit system — operates buses and rail in the state, providing nearly 1 million weekday trips, including into New York City. A walkout would halt all NJ Transit commuter trains, which provide heavily used public transit routes between New York City’s Penn Station on one side of the Hudson River and communities in northern New Jersey on the other as well as the Newark airport, which has grappled with unrelated delays of its own recently.

Wages and working conditions have been the main sticking points of the negotiations between the agency and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. The union claims its members earn an average salary of $113,000 a year and says an agreement could be reached if agency CEO Kris Kolluri agrees to an average yearly salary of $170,000.

NJ Transit leadership, though, disputes the union's data, saying the engineers have average total earnings of $135,000 annually, with the highest earners exceeding $200,000.

“I cannot keep giving money left and right to solve a problem," Kolluri recently said. “It all comes down to, who is going to pay for this? Money does not grow on trees.”

Tom Haas, the union's general chairman, has said NJ Transit has adopted a “take it or leave it" approach to salaries during the negotiations.

“We have sought nothing more than equal pay for equal work, only to be continuously rebuffed by New Jersey Transit,” Haas said during a news conference Friday. ”New Jersey Transit engineers want to keep the trains moving, but the simple fact is that trains do not run without engineers.”

If the walkout does happen, it would be the state’s first transit strike in more than 40 years.

If the engineers do walk off the job, the agency plans to increase bus service, saying it would add “very limited” capacity to existing New York commuter bus routes in close proximity to rail stations and will contract with private carriers to operate bus service from key regional park-and-ride locations during weekday peak periods.

However, the agency notes that the buses would not be able to handle close to the same number of passengers — only about 20% of current rail customers — so it is has urged people who can work from home to do so if there is a strike.

The potential strike is already causing some disruptions. On Monday, NJ Transit said it will not operate train or bus service to MetLife Stadium for Shakira concerts scheduled for Thursday and Friday, and said it’s not clear yet if it will be providing service for Beyonce fans planning to attend her shows scheduled at MetLife from May 22 to 29.

If a walkout does occur, NJ Transit has said the chartered buses will run from four satellite lots across the state to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan or to PATH train stations in north Jersey, starting Monday. The PATH system is operated by a subsidiary of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and its services would not be affected by the potential strike.

As many as 1,000 passengers are on a full train each day, and roughly 70,000 commuters take the trains each day. NJ Transit says each chartered bus could carry only about 100 passengers, and no buses would run on the first day of a potential strike.

Officials expect some train customers will switch to existing NJ Transit bus routes or use the chartered carriers. Others may choose to drive into New York City, where they would have to pay congestion pricing fees.

The potential walkout comes a month after union members overwhelmingly rejected a labor agreement with management. Both sides had earlier said the tentative agreement included a “reasonable wage increase” for union members as well as the resolution of a long-standing grievance.

Kolluri has said the offer would have raised the average annual pay of full-time engineers to $172,000 from $135,000, but union leaders say those figures were inflated.

Since that proposal was rejected, the two sides have traded jabs over the labor dispute, which goes back to 2019, when the engineers’ contract expired. Union leaders say train engineers have gone without a raise over the past five years and are just seeking pay parity with engineers who work for other rail agencies.

The parties met Monday with a federal mediation board in Washington to discuss the dispute, but both sides and the board have declined to comment on whether any progress was made or if more talks have been scheduled.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, says all options are on the table if a strike occurs, including declaring a state of emergency. The governor, though, remains optimistic an agreement can be reached.

FILE - A train is seen on a maintenance track at New Jersey Transit's Meadows Maintenance Complex, Tuesday, May 1, 2018, in Kearny, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

FILE - A New Jersey Transit train leaves the Bound Brook Station, Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, in Bound Brook, N.J. Commuters were faced with many train cancellations during the morning rush hour. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

FILE - The seal of the state of New Jersey is on a New Jersey Transit train in Secaucus, New Jersey, on Saturday, December 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)

FILe - People head to trains at the New Jersey Transit station in Hoboken, N.J., on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/David Boe, File)

FILE - In this Aug. 3, 2018, file photo, a New Jersey Transit train leaves the Bound Brook Station in Bound Brook, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)