Tens of thousands of citizens took to the streets of Belgrade today, Friday, and demonstrated with the slogan “Serbia against violence”. It is the third demonstration-march in two weeks organized by the Serbian opposition after the two tragic mass shooting events that occurred in early May and claimed the lives of 19 people.
All opposition parties except the nationalist, far-right parties participate in the anti-violence demonstrations. Opposition demands for the resignation of the interior minister, the intelligence chief and the removal of national frequencies for two pro-government private television channels that broadcast the violence were rejected by the government. According to estimates by the organizers, at least 200,000 people participated in today's demonstration and it is considered the largest since October 5, 2000, when the regime of Slobodan Milosevic was overthrown. The pro-government media characterize the opposition's demonstrations as "directed by foreign centers and foreign secret services".
At the same time that the opposition was demonstrating in Belgrade, the ruling Serbian Progressive Party was organizing a rally-counter-demonstration in the city of Pančevo. , 20 kilometers north of Belgrade, where party leader and president of the Republic Aleksandar Vucic spoke. It is noted that the ruling party is preparing a rally for May 26 in Belgrade which Aleksandar Vucic announced as "the biggest ever organized in Serbia".
Source: APE-MPE
