Tens of thousands of Serbians held a protest against violence in the capital city of Belgrade on Monday (May 8), days after two mass shootings killed 17 people. The “Serbia against violence” demonstrations saw people from across the Balkan country’s political divide rallying against violence. The protesters gathered in front of the Serbian parliament before taking to the streets to rally near government offices.
The protesters demanded better security, a ban on violent television content and the resignation of many key government officials including Interior Minister Bratislav Gasic and the director of the country’s security intelligence agency Aleksandar Vulin. They also demanded an urgent parliamentary session and a debate about the overall security situation in the country, the news agency Reuters reported.
In a statement, the leftist Let’s Not Let Belgrade Drown party said, “We demand an immediate stop to further promotion of violence in the media and public space, as well as responsibility for the long-standing inadequate response from competent authorities.”
In Belgrade, Marina Vidojevic, an elementary school teacher, told demonstrators, “We are here because we can’t wait any longer. We’ve waited too long, we’ve been silent too long, we’ve turned our heads too long. We want safe schools, streets, villages and cities for all children,” the news agency AFP reported early Tuesday.
Protests were also held in Serbia’s northern city Novi Sad.
The two mass shootings last week sent shockwaves across Serbia. Last Wednesday (May 3), a school student brought two handguns to his school and killed eight pupils and a security guard. Six other pupils and a teacher were injured in the shooting. A day later, a 21-year-old man brandishing an assault rifle and a pistol killed eight people and wounded 14 others.
Both of these shooters surrendered to the police. Last Sunday, Serbia’s Education Minister Branko Ruzic resigned citing the “cataclysmic tragedy” caused by last week’s school shooting in his resignation letter.
President Vucic calls protests a ‘political’ stunt
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic dismissed the “Serbia against violence” demonstrations, calling it a “political” stunt. “I asked truly and sincerely… people not to organise something like this, not because I was in any way scared or threatened, but because I felt that it was not good for the country,” Vucic said, AFP reported.
(With inputs from agencies)
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