Tens of thousands gather in Belgrade for fifth anti-government protest since mass shootings

 

Tens of thousands gathered in Belgrade on June 3, 2023 for the fifth in a series of anti-government protests since two mass shootings in early May.

The “Serbia against violence” protests have evolved into some of the largest rallies since widespread demonstrations triggered the fall of strongman Slobodan Milosevic over two decades ago.

The protests followed the early May mass shootings that left 18 dead and wounded several others. Nine of the dead were students at a Belgrade elementary school who were gunned down by a 13-year-old pupil.

The demonstrations have tapped into simmering anger at the ruling party over what protesters say is a culture of violence fanned by the government and the media outlets they control.

“I’m here for all of us, especially my children. So they don’t need to protest, but work and live in their country like they should,” 33-year-old mathematician Bojana Popovic told AFP during the rally.