Serbians rally against violence after two mass shootings

The Balkan nation has not seen such large crowds for many years. They marched solemnly through the heart of Belgrade, behind a banner that read "Serbia Against Violence".

Borivoje Plcevic, from Belgrade, said: "We are here to pay our respects and to make sure that this does not happen again anywhere."

A student who brought two guns to school killed eight students and a guard on Wednesday. Six students and a teacher also sustained injuries.

A 21-year old man wielding a pistol and an assault rifle killed eight people and injured 14 others a day later.

Both shooters surrendered themselves to police.

Protesters, opposition supporters and others demanded the shutdown of tabloids and TV stations that they claim promote violent and vulgar content.

Some rights groups and opposition parties accuse President Aleksandar Vucic of autocracy and violence against political rivals. They also claim that the ruling populist Serbian Progressive Party, led by Vucic, is corrupt and has ties to organised crime. Vucic, along with his allies, denies the allegations.

Vucic claimed that protesters tried to force him out of office on Monday and to destabilize the country. He said that he would be willing to test the popularity of his party in a quick vote but did not specify a date.

"I will work hard and I won't back down in front of the mob and the street ....We shall see whether it is a reshuffle or (snap election)," he said during a live television broadcast.

In 2026, Serbia will hold parliamentary elections and in 2027, a presidential election.

The protesters demanded the resignation of Bratislav Gasic, Interior Minister, and Aleksandar Vulin as the director of state security, and that the Regulatory Committee for Electronic Media of the Government (REM) be dismissed within a week.

Branko Branko Ruzic, the education minister, resigned from his position on Sunday (7 May).

Demonstrators called for an urgent parliamentary session, and demanded a discussion about the current security situation.

Snezana said that this is an act "of solidarity against... violence in the media, in parliament, in daily life... solidarity for lost children". She was a woman of 60s, who refused to reveal her last name.

Similar protests took place in other Serbian cities.

Serbian police responded to the shootings by launching a month-long amnesty on Monday for those who surrender illegal weapons. Over 1,500 illegal weapons were surrendered on the first day, according to the police.

Vucic announced that police will check registered gun owners.

After the 1990s wars that tore the former Yugoslavia apart, Serbia is home to a deep-seated gun culture.

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