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Following two mass shootings that left 18 people dead this month, tens of thousands of people gathered in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, on Friday amid growing concern over the violence’s escalating levels.
The demonstration was the third significant “Serbia against violence” demonstration in recent weeks, which has drawn a large crowd to the streets to demand the resignation of senior officials.
Jelena Mihajlovic, a protester, said to the crowd gathered in front of the parliament on Friday, “We are in shock, disbelief, and we are angry.” The question, “What kind of country are we leaving for our children?” echoes throughout the group.
Since widespread protests forced the overthrow of former strongman Slobodan Milosevic more than 20 years ago, the protests are among the biggest demonstrations to rock Serbia.
The demonstrators demand that the government ban pro-government newspapers that incite unrest by targeting political dissidents and revoke the broadcasting licenses of television networks that promote violent content.
The interior minister and the head of the intelligence service have also been demanded to resign.
During a special session of parliament on Friday, members of the pro-European opposition stormed out, accusing the ruling party and its allies of wanting to “silence the rally” rather than address the issues brought up by the protesters.
Democratic Party leader Zoran Lutovac told reporters, “We don’t want to be a part of that. We will join the citizens in the protest.”
Aleksandar Vucic, the president of Serbia, has dismissed the demonstrations as a “political” gimmick.
Next week, he has planned a separate protest for his own supporters, which he has dubbed “the biggest gathering in Serbian history.”
Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, a close ally of Vucic’s, has also charged “foreign intelligence services” with inciting unrest following the shootings in an effort to destabilize Serbia.
In response to the shootings, Vucic has vowed to “disarm” Serbia by enacting a bold plan to strictly regulate both legal and illegal firearms.
According to the research group Small Arms Survey, Serbia has the highest rate of gun ownership in Europe, with about 39 out of every 100 citizens owning firearms.
