Opponents protest on Saturday
Thousands of Vucic supporters on the streets of Belgrade
05/27/2023, 03:00 am
Two serious killing sprees at the beginning of May shook Serbia. The opposition has taken to the streets against gun violence and is demanding the dismissal of public officials. President Vucic disagrees. Now tens of thousands of his supporters in Belgrade are taking a stand.
Thousands of people took part in a demonstration in support of President Aleksandar Vucic in the Serbian capital of Belgrade on Friday. The rally, entitled “Serbia of Hope,” was seen as the government’s response to the demonstrations led by the opposition, in which tens of thousands of people have repeatedly demonstrated against gun violence in recent weeks.
Since Friday morning, people from all over the country have been arriving in Belgrade by bus and train. According to human rights groups and the media, some protesters were urged to participate. “I trust these people who run the country and that’s why I’m here to support this gathering,” said 82-year-old Branko Marovic.
Vucic had announced “the largest gathering in Serbia’s history” for Friday evening. In a video published on Instagram, he spoke of a “gathering where we will try to unite Serbia and show that it has a future”.
18 dead within two days
The mass protests were triggered by two gun attacks within less than 48 hours earlier this month – including at a primary school in Belgrade. After the bloody killings that killed a total of 18, tens of thousands of people took to the streets to protest against gun violence. They demanded an end to the glorification of violence in pro-government media and the resignation of the interior minister and the head of the secret service.
However, the demands were firmly rejected by the President and his allies. They made fun of the protests and insulted the demonstrators.
Belgrade is bracing for a tense situation over the weekend as the opposition plans to take to the streets again on Saturday. The protests against gun violence are among the largest since the mass demonstrations that led to the resignation of then ruler Slobodan Milosevic in 2000.