Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in the capital city of Serbia, Belgrade, on Saturday (June 3) in protest of the government and the violence which they have blamed for the deaths of 18 people in two separate mass shootings in Serbia. The protesters who marked the one-month anniversary of the first mass shooting in a school have also called for the resignation of the country’s president, interior minister, and the head of the country's secret service.&nbsp;

<h2>What happened at the protest on Saturday?</h2>

The Serbian capital city witnessed its fifth anti-government protest in a month and the people marched through Belgrade while some even broke off to President Aleksandar Vucic’s official residence.

According to opposition groups and media reports, right-wing groups were trying to infiltrate the march to promote their nationalist agenda. This also prompted the rally organised by several pro-European opposition parties on Friday to be rescheduled to Saturday, after the far-right groups reportedly said they would join the march.

On Saturday, protesters raised slogans like “Vucic go away,” and held up banners with the slogan “Serbia against violence.” Meanwhile, some demonstrators also left hundreds of pieces of paper by Vucic’s official residence with messages calling for him to step down.

“Serbia against violence” protesters&nbsp;have blamed Vucic for not tackling the culture of violence and its promotion in the media which they say has now become a part of the society.

As per a report by Reuters, recent Serbian reality TV shows have allowed the participation of convicted criminals, including murderers as well as shown men beating up women. However, TV stations have vowed to stop airing the show after backlash.&nbsp;

<h2>What have the protesters demanded?</h2>

The protesters have called for the resignation of the Serbian president, Interior Minister Bratislav Gasic, and Secret Service Chief Aleksandar Vulin as well as an immediate suspension of TV programmes that promote violence and called for their broadcasting licences to be revoked.&nbsp;

“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,” a 33-year-old mathematician Bojana Popovic told AFP during the rally.&nbsp;

Last month, Serbia witnessed the country’s first school shooting when a 13-year-old killed nine students at a Belgrade elementary school. In a separate incident, a day later, a 21-year-old man killed eight people in a town outside Belgrade.

<h2>‘Political’ stunt: Serbian president about the protests</h2>

Previously, Vucic has dismissed the protests as a “political” stunt and denied accusations of fueling intolerance and violence. The Serbian president also went on to reportedly peddle theories about foreign nations and the opposition&nbsp;conspiring to topple his government which has been in power for more than a decade.&nbsp;

“They just need to know that dead or alive, including my children, I will fight against those who support violence,” said Vucic, in a recent interview.&nbsp;

Notably, after the mass shootings the government declared a one-month amnesty period for citizens to surrender unregistered weapons where residents had turned over about 13,500 items including guns, cartons of hand grenades, and anti-tank rocket launchers.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
 
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Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in the capital city of Serbia, Belgrade, on Saturday (June 3) in protest of the government and the violence which they have blamed for the deaths of 18 people in two separate mass shootings in Serbia.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in the capital city of Serbia, Belgrade, on Saturday (June 3) in protest of the government and the violence which they have blamed for the deaths of 18 people in two separate mass shootings in Serbia. The protesters who marked the one-month anniversary of the first mass shooting in a school have also called for the resignation of the country’s president, interior minister, and the head of the country's secret service. What happened at the protest on Saturday? The Serbian capital city witnessed its fifth anti-government protest in a month and the people marched through Belgrade while some even broke off to President Aleksandar Vucic’s official residence. According to opposition groups and media reports, right-wing groups were trying to infiltrate the march to promote their nationalist agenda. This also prompted the rally organised by several pro-European opposition parties on Friday to be rescheduled to Saturday, after the far-right groups reportedly said they would join the march. On Saturday, protesters raised slogans like “Vucic go away,” and held up banners with the slogan “Serbia against violence.” Meanwhile, some demonstrators also left hundreds of pieces of paper by Vucic’s official residence with messages calling for him to step down. “Serbia against violence” protesters have blamed Vucic for not tackling the culture of violence and its promotion in the media which they say has now become a part of the society. As per a report by Reuters, recent Serbian reality TV shows have allowed the participation of convicted criminals, including murderers as well as shown men beating up women. However, TV stations have vowed to stop airing the show after backlash. What have the protesters demanded? The protesters have called for the resignation of the Serbian president, Interior Minister Bratislav Gasic, and Secret Service Chief Aleksandar Vulin as well as an immediate suspension of TV programmes that promote violence and called for their broadcasting licences to be revoked. “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,” a 33-year-old mathematician Bojana Popovic told AFP during the rally. Last month, Serbia witnessed the country’s first school shooting when a 13-year-old killed nine students at a Belgrade elementary school. In a separate incident, a day later, a 21-year-old man killed eight people in a town outside Belgrade. ‘Political’ stunt: Serbian president about the protests Previously, Vucic has dismissed the protests as a “political” stunt and denied accusations of fueling intolerance and violence. The Serbian president also went on to reportedly peddle theories about foreign nations and the opposition conspiring to topple his government which has been in power for more than a decade. “They just need to know that dead or alive, including my children, I will fight against those who support violence,” said Vucic, in a recent interview. Notably, after the mass shootings the government declared a one-month amnesty period for citizens to surrender unregistered weapons where residents had turned over about 13,500 items including guns, cartons of hand grenades, and anti-tank rocket launchers. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Thousands of Serbians participate in 5th anti-government protest since mass shootings

"Guns don't kill people, people kill people". This is a slogan popularized by the National Rifle Association of America and other gun advocates since 1910s. A little over a century later, America, a nation of 330 million, is awash with 400 million guns. Gun-related deaths in America far outnumber the deaths in any other advanced country on the planet. Not a week goes by without horrible news of a mass shooting somewhere on American soil.

Serbia's twin mass shootings bring focus on easy availability of guns | World At War

Tens of thousands of Serbians held a protest against violence in the capital city of Belgrade on Monday (May 8), days after two mass shootings killed 17 people. The "Serbia against violence" demonstrations saw people from across the Balkan country's political divide rallying against violence.

Tens of thousands of Serbians held a protest against violence in the capital city of Belgrade on Monday (May 8), days after two mass shootings killed 17 people. The "Serbia against violence" demonstrations saw people from across the Balkan country's political divide rallying against violence. The protesters gathered in front of the Serbian parliament before taking to the streets to rally near government offices. The protesters demanded better security, a ban on violent television content and the resignation of many key government officials, including Interior Minister Bratislav Gasic and the director of the country's security intelligence agency Aleksandar Vulin. They also demanded an urgent parliamentary session and a debate about the overall security situation in the country, the news agency Reuters reported. ALSO READ | Neo-Nazi symbols, fight in schoolyard: What we know about Serbia’s second mass shooting In a statement, the leftist Let's Not Let Belgrade Drown party said, "We demand an immediate stop to further promotion of violence in the media and public space, as well as responsibility for the long-standing inadequate response from competent authorities." In Belgrade, Marina Vidojevic, an elementary school teacher, told demonstrators, "We are here because we can't wait any longer. We've waited too long, we've been silent too long, we've turned our heads too long. We want safe schools, streets, villages and cities for all children." Protests were also held in Serbia's northern city Novi Sad. The two mass shootings last week sent shockwaves across Serbia. Last Wednesday (May 3), a school student brought two handguns to his school and killed eight pupils and a security guard. Six other pupils and a teacher were injured in the shooting. A day later, a 21-year-old man brandishing an assault rifle and a pistol killed eight people and wounded 14 others. Both of these shooters surrendered to the police. Last Sunday, Serbia's Education Minister Branko Ruzic resigned citing the "cataclysmic tragedy" caused by last week's school shooting in his resignation letter. President Vucic calls protests a 'political' stunt Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic dismissed the "Serbia against violence" demonstrations, calling it a "political" stunt. "I asked truly and sincerely... people not to organise something like this, not because I was in any way scared or threatened, but because I felt that it was not good for the country," Vucic said, AFP reported. Following the mass shootings last week, the president vowed to disarm Serbia with an ambitious plan that would crack down on legal and illicit firearms in the country. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Serbia mass shootings: Tens of thousands of citizens rally against violence

Authorities in Serbia released more details about the shooter who killed eight people in the country’s second mass shooting in two consecutive days, on Friday (May 5). The young man was wearing a t-shirt with neo-Nazi symbols and was later caught hiding at his grandfather’s house.&nbsp;

The incident took place in the Siberian town of Mladenovac’s Dubona village, late Thursday, where the police after an hours-long manhunt arrested the gunman suspected of carrying out the attack. The attack also resulted in the wounding of at least 14 others in the village not too far from Belgrade.&nbsp;

The Serbian Interior Ministry said in a statement, “The suspect U.B., born in 2002, has been apprehended in the vicinity of the city of Kragujevac, he is suspected of killing eight people and wounding 14 overnight.”&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/at-least-two-killed-several-injured-after-shooting-incident-in-serbian-village-reports-589022">Serbia: Second mass shooting in two days leaves 8 dead, suspect held</a>

State broadcaster RTS said the suspect had been involved in an altercation in a schoolyard, following which he reportedly left to procure an assault rifle and a handgun. Subsequently, he opened fire and continued to shoot at people from a moving car.&nbsp;

According to the police, the man fired at people in two other nearby villages before fleeing. The suspect was arrested in the early hours of Friday morning after “an extensive search,” the interior ministry said.&nbsp;

They also indicated that an investigation has been launched into the attack. The search for the suspect, who was only referred to by his initials UB, involved over 600 officers, a helicopter, drones and multiple police patrols.&nbsp;

It was not until hours later when they found him hiding in his grandfather’s house, where they also discovered hand grenades, an automatic rifle and ammunition, reported Reuters, citing authorities. The police have also arrested UB’s grandfather and uncle.&nbsp; 
 
ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/serbia-8-dead-13-injured-in-second-mass-shooting-in-two-days-world-news-wion-589284">Serbia: 8 dead, 13 injured in second mass shooting in two days | World News | WION</a>

Vucic calls for ‘practical disarmament’ of Serbia

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic delivered a sombre address on Friday where he called the incident a “terrorist attack”. He also said that the gunman was wearing a t-shirt with neo-Nazi symbols. “There will be justice. These monsters will never see the light of day,” said Vucic.&nbsp;

The Serbian leader further pledged to strengthen security for schools, announcing that 1,200 new police officers will be recruited in the next six months to be deployed to schools across the country.&nbsp;

All those injured were born after the year 2000, said the report by RTS. On Friday, Serbian Health Minister Danica Grujicic said that those wounded from the shooting a day prior suffered multiple injuries and underwent surgery, but all were stable.

School shooting in Belgrade on Wednesday

The incident comes a day after the Balkan country witnessed a school shooting by a 13-year-old. Notably, until this week, despite the country’s high rate of gun ownership, mass shootings were rare.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/president-aleksandar-vucic-vows-to-disarm-serbia-following-mass-shootings-589368">President Aleksandar Vucic vows to ‘disarm’ Serbia following mass shootings</a>&nbsp;

Serbia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said in a statement on Facebook that it was informed at 8:40 am (local time) that a school shooting had occurred at the Vladislav Ribnikar Elementary School in Vračar, an upscale area of the Serbian capital.&nbsp;

The shooter, later identified only as KK, was a seventh-grade student who reportedly opened fire from his father’s gun. The High Public Prosecutor’s office, in a statement, on Friday said that they have detained the father, identified as Vladimir K., who has denied any responsibility.&nbsp;

However, he will face up to 12 years in jail on suspicion of training his son by taking him to target practice and failing to secure arms, reported Reuters.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp; 
 
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Authorities in Serbia released more details about the shooter who killed eight people in the country’s second mass shooting in two consecutive days, on Friday (May 5).

Authorities in Serbia released more details about the shooter who killed eight people in the country’s second mass shooting in two consecutive days, on Friday (May 5). The young man was wearing a t-shirt with neo-Nazi symbols and was later caught hiding at his grandfather’s house. The incident took place in the Siberian town of Mladenovac’s Dubona village, late Thursday, where the police after an hours-long manhunt arrested the gunman suspected of carrying out the attack. The attack also resulted in the wounding of at least 14 others in the village not too far from Belgrade. The Serbian Interior Ministry said in a statement, “The suspect U.B., born in 2002, has been apprehended in the vicinity of the city of Kragujevac, he is suspected of killing eight people and wounding 14 overnight.” ALSO READ | Serbia: Second mass shooting in two days leaves 8 dead, suspect held State broadcaster RTS said the suspect had been involved in an altercation in a schoolyard, following which he reportedly left to procure an assault rifle and a handgun. Subsequently, he opened fire and continued to shoot at people from a moving car. According to the police, the man fired at people in two other nearby villages before fleeing. The suspect was arrested in the early hours of Friday morning after “an extensive search,” the interior ministry said. They also indicated that an investigation has been launched into the attack. The search for the suspect, who was only referred to by his initials UB, involved over 600 officers, a helicopter, drones and multiple police patrols. It was not until hours later when they found him hiding in his grandfather’s house, where they also discovered hand grenades, an automatic rifle and ammunition, reported Reuters, citing authorities. The police have also arrested UB’s grandfather and uncle. ALSO WATCH | Serbia: 8 dead, 13 injured in second mass shooting in two days | World News | WION Vucic calls for ‘practical disarmament’ of Serbia Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic delivered a sombre address on Friday where he called the incident a “terrorist attack”. He also said that the gunman was wearing a t-shirt with neo-Nazi symbols. “There will be justice. These monsters will never see the light of day,” said Vucic. The Serbian leader further pledged to strengthen security for schools, announcing that 1,200 new police officers will be recruited in the next six months to be deployed to schools across the country. All those injured were born after the year 2000, said the report by RTS. On Friday, Serbian Health Minister Danica Grujicic said that those wounded from the shooting a day prior suffered multiple injuries and underwent surgery, but all were stable. School shooting in Belgrade on Wednesday The incident comes a day after the Balkan country witnessed a school shooting by a 13-year-old. Notably, until this week, despite the country’s high rate of gun ownership, mass shootings were rare. ALSO READ | President Aleksandar Vucic vows to ‘disarm’ Serbia following mass shootings Serbia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said in a statement on Facebook that it was informed at 8:40 am (local time) that a school shooting had occurred at the Vladislav Ribnikar Elementary School in Vračar, an upscale area of the Serbian capital. The shooter, later identified only as KK, was a seventh-grade student who reportedly opened fire from his father’s gun. The High Public Prosecutor’s office, in a statement, on Friday said that they have detained the father, identified as Vladimir K., who has denied any responsibility. However, he will face up to 12 years in jail on suspicion of training his son by taking him to target practice and failing to secure arms, reported Reuters. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Neo-Nazi symbols, fight in schoolyard: What we know about Serbia’s second mass shooting

In the nation's second mass shooting in as many days, a shooter shot at least eight people and injured 13 others. Hundreds of Serbian special forces are looking for him. According to the nation's Interior Ministry, the massacre happened at 11 p.m. on Thursday in the village of Dubona. According to the national broadcaster RTS, the attacker used an automatic firearm to shoot a crowd of people before escaping.

Serbia: 8 dead, 13 injured in second mass shooting in two days | World News | WION

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Thousands of Serbians participate in 5th anti-government protest since mass shootings

Serbia's twin mass shootings bring focus on easy availability of guns | World At War

Serbia mass shootings: Tens of thousands of citizens rally against violence

Neo-Nazi symbols, fight in schoolyard: What we know about Serbia’s second mass shooting

Serbia: 8 dead, 13 injured in second mass shooting in two days | World News | WION