Major protests following mass killings in Serbia

“People in Serbia have not been too happy even before the recent mass killings,” says 33-year-old saleswoman Anna Pavic, who is pregnant and with her two small children, has entered the protest column against current power. Besides, our power fails when something like this happens. “Pavic means the two mass killings last week. On Wednesday (03.05.23), a 13-year-old boy has killed eight students with firearms and an elementary school guard in Belgrade. On Thursday (04.05.2023), a 21-year-old shot indiscriminately on people in several villages near Belgrade. The balance of eight dead. That is why Ana Pavic took to the streets in Belgrade, along with tens of thousands of demonstrators. Protest has also taken place in other cities. In the DW journalist's question of what doesn't work in Serbia, Pavic answers: “Everything is justice, co-operation, just everything. We finally have to change something. ”

Vucinq talks about <x0frective”

Monday's peaceful evening protest (08.05,2023) was organised by several ideologically different opposition parties from the ecologist left to nationalist right. A major challenge for the ruling conservatives, “Serbian Progressive Party” and its strong man, President Aleksandar Vuciq.

Vuciq has led Serbia with an iron fist for eleven years, sometimes as head of government and once as president. It keeps most of the media under control. Vucic maneuvers between the European Union and Russia, while within the country he presents himself as the most important figure.

Since last Wednesday's first murder, the president has been addressing his people four times. He also spoke against his critics in the country. The opposition has “brutally abused people's feelings”, Vuciq said after the protest on pro-rus television channel “ “if necessary, we will have new elections on all level”.

Vuciq has called for early elections several times to retain power. With these elections he has won the overwhelming majority of votes, defeating the divided opposition. The charges against Vuciqi are massive: His Progressive Party distributes jobs, buys votes, controls the media and abuses state resources for its own interests. The opposition is talking about “the state seized”.

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But the situation may now be unpleasant to Vuchqi, observers think. After two tragedies in the population, there is great sadness and anger. Many have blamed the <x0thmosphere of violence” for the massacres, promoted by the ruling politicians and the media. Canals considered to be the president's “home”, “Pink” and “Happy”, show non-stop “reality display” with many arguments, insults and violence. While opposition politicians, independent journalists and dissidents are consistently demonised as foreign “spiun” or “people who hate Serbs”.

“But you can't shut up people who don't accept such a policy,” says about DW ecologist deputy Djordje Pavicevic. “People believe that someone should take responsibility for the” situation, he says during the protest. So far, only Education Minister Branko Rusic has resigned. But protesters demand the resignation of other state officials, the ban on emissions “reality show” and the removal of the license for these two televisions.

Of course, the government is not directly responsible for the killings, says politician Dusan Milenkovic. “But people are scared and looking for someone to blame for the situation.” In systems where the government controls the whole society, it is logical that people in power are seen as the main culprits, Milenkovic said.

There will be more protests

It is surprising that not a week after the terrible killings at this school in Belgrade have gone to visit neither Vuciq nor Prime Minister Brnabiq or mayor of Belgrade. They did not visit the crime scene to commemorate the victims. Thousands of flowers and candles that burn day and night are placed in the asphalt in front of the school.

Observers say Vuciq is reluctant to go out among the citizens who have not gathered his people. What would happen if some schoolchildren protested against him? Children cannot be called as easy as foreign “mercenaries” or “hien political”, as they did with the opposition.

Serbia has the highest number of legal and illegal weapons per person in Europe. Family violence and organised crime are common phenomena in this country, yet such gun shootings as recent amok attacks are extremely rare. Now the shock is deep and they have become a political issue. The opposition has given the government until Friday (12 May 2023) to meet its demands. But nobody expects that to happen. Therefore, there are supposed to be mass protests in Belgrade again on Friday. As DW learned from opposition circles, there is still no consensus on whether to call again for a peaceful march or to have a tougher approach with the blocking of pro-government roads and television stations.

In recent years, there have been several major waves of protests against Vuciqi, for example, because of the lithium mines in western Serbia or against measures at the time of pandemic. But the government has not been shaken by these protests, Milenkovic says. In a country with unfair elections and controlled media, things are difficult to change. Under these conditions you simply cannot penetrate voters. “ / DW