2023-06-04 05:12:57
Liberal and left-wing opposition parties and civil movements had called for the protest. The protesters accuse the Serbian government of encouraging violence and hate speech that left 18 dead last month.
Tens of thousands protested in downtown Belgrade against the violence in northern Kosovo and demanded the resignation of President Aleksander Vucic.
The reason for the protest were two killing sprees a month ago. The demonstrators denounced the fact that private television stations loyal to Vucic glossed over violence and mafia crime. This creates a climate that encourages violence.
The populist president wants to be held responsible for the dead.
“You just need to know that dead or alive I will fight against those who support violence”
Aleksandar Vucic, Prime Minister of Serbia
The crowd marched towards Vucic’s seat of government in downtown Belgrade. The demonstrators also accuse Vucic of illegally seizing control of all state institutions. Vucic has denied this, claiming opposition groups wanted to use force to overthrow him.
On May 3, a 13-year-old shot dead nine classmates and a security guard in a Belgrade school. A day later, a 21-year-old shot people in a village near Belgrade, killing eight. The two incidents, which are not directly related, shook Serbian society deeply.
According to Serbian media, the rally was the largest of five anti-government protests within a month.
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