Bridges

“Blood’s being spilled on Vrbanja Bridge, a girl got killed.’ Suddenly jets roared overhead. You must remember that this was 5th April ’92, at that time the JNA was absolutely present here and absolutely legitimate, absolutely legal. An army against which not a word could be said. I asked myself instinctively, as if I was in a spasm, not realizing that something like this could be happening, I asked, against whom? Surely not against these unarmed people.”

- Mladen Paunović, Journalist

“There was nowhere that we could go to avoid sniper bullets. They stalked us like animals. I remember one time when I was coming home from work, and I went to cross the bridge, and there were quite a few people standing by the tobacco shop. I asked why they weren’t crossing, and they said they can’t. Well, I pretended to be brave and said, ‘I can.’ I was carrying a loaf of bread. I started running across, and he started shooting at me, and I threw the bread. I figured, ‘to Hell with food. I’d rather save my head.’ So I went back to where they were all standing and I waited, and waited, until the sniper bullets stopped, and then we ran across. And besides at the bridge, it seems that they were waiting for us everywhere, none of the streets were safe.”

- Zejneba Aganović, Citizen

“And one day I go to Skenderija, and I see a real sight. Tanks are out on the bridge, Skenderija. The new colonel came. And on his first day while they were on the Vrbanja Bridge, at that checkpoint, the Serbs took advantage of the fact that they had stolen bulletproof vests, uniforms, and vehicles. During the night, they tricked the new French troops who were stationed at that checkpoint during the night. They acted as if they were changing guard, and in this way took over the bridge.”

- Radmila Stojadinović, Translator