Tens of thousands of citizens took to the streets of Belgrade on Friday and demonstrated under 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 participated in the anti-violence demonstrations.
Opposition demands for the resignation of the interior minister, the intelligence chief and the removal of 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 secret services abroad”.
At the same time as the opposition was demonstrating in Belgrade, the ruling Serbian Progressive Party was organizing a counter-demonstration in the town of Pančevo, 20 kilometers north of Belgrade, where party leader and President of the Republic Aleksandar Vucic spoke. The ruling party is preparing a May 26 rally in Belgrade that Aleksandar Vucic has announced as “the biggest ever organized in Serbia.”
Source: Cyprus Times
