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Dec 18, 2023

Mass Displays of Discontent Give Serbia’s Opposition New Hope

Shocked by the killing of eight children and a security guard by a 13-year-old

Shocked by the killing of eight children and a security guard by a 13-year-old boy in a Belgrade school on May 3 – and a second mass shooting a day later – tens of thousands of Serbs have been marching through the capital every week to demand an end to what they describe as a culture of violence in the country.

The protests are being organised by pro-European opposition parties, but out of respect for the victims of the two mass shootings that claimed the lives of 17 people and left many more injured, have been held without any political party symbols.

However, week by week, the ‘Serbia Against Violence’ have become anti-government rallies, with protesters calling for the ousting of autocratic President Aleksandar Vucic and his party.

"Vucic, go away" has become the most common chant at the protests, which according to many experts, are the largest since October 5, 2000, when the democratic opposition toppled Slobodan Milosevic, who Vucic once served as information minister.

Robert Kozma, an opposition MP in the Serbian parliament and one of the organisers of the ongoing protests, said that the shootings were a wake-up call for the country.

"These two traumatic events, two mass murders, showed that the system does not exist and that unfortunately no one can protect themselves and create their own little bubble in which they are protected," Kozma told BIRN in an interview.

Robert Kozma, a member of Ne Davimo Beograd (Let's Not Drown Belgrade), a campaign organisation that came to parliament for the first time as a part of the Green-Left Coalition at the 2022 elections. Photo: Private archive

A politician with an activist background, Kozma is a member of Ne Davimo Beograd (Let's Not Drown Belgrade), a campaign organisation that came to parliament for the first time as a part of the Green-Left Coalition at the 2022 elections.

"From the justified anger we all share after the irresponsible and arrogant behaviour of the ruling regime, a new hope has been born at these protests. A hope that we can establish justice and responsibility in our country. The protest demands are the first step towards that," Kozma told BIRN.

The protesters are calling for the governing council of Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media to be replaced, for print media and tabloid newspapers that promote hatred and violence and breach journalistic ethics to be shut down, for the frequencies of the pro-government Pink and Happy TV stations to be revoked, and for reality television shows that depict violence to be banned.

They are also calling for the removal or resignation of Interior Minister Bratislav Gasic and the head of the Security Intelligence Agency, Aleksandar Vulin. Education Minister Branko Ruzic has already submitted his resignation, which opposition parties said in a joint statement is "proof that the government knows only the pressure of citizens, and that it is necessary to persevere until all demands are met".

However, many claim that most of these demands are not realistic, considering the nature of Vucic's rule. The media powerhouses – TV Pink, Happy and the various tabloids – are key elements in his popularity and narrative control. Gasic and Vulin are his most loyal men, exerting a grip on the police and security services, also essential to his administration, which watchdog organisations and investigative media have claimed is linked to corruption and organised crime.

But Kozma insisted that Vucic is clearly shaken, arguing that the strength of the protests and Vucic's statements playing down the amount of people on the streets, show how he is losing support among the general public.

"The ruling regime changes its strategy every week precisely because the citizens’ protests are massive and the number of citizens who are coming to the protests is not decreasing. After they saw they are doing more damage to themselves, they called for ‘dialogue’, but while insulting the opposition," he said.

"In the end, they will have to fulfill the citizens’ demands," he added.

People march during a rally against violence in Belgrade, Serbia, 12 May 2023. Opposition political parties have called on a peaceful and silent protest against violence in Serbian society following two mass shootings. EPA-EFE/ANDREJ CUKIC

In the last decade of Vucic's rule, there have been many protests, but not many of them have achieved much success. Vucic's strategy has been to let people march, get tired and then have this portrayed as a ‘celebration of democracy’, often comparing it to the violent treatment of demonstrators by some police forces in Western Europe.

The first mass protests were sparked by the demolition of buildings in Belgrade's Hercegovacka Street on election night in April 2016, when masked men illegally flattened several buildings to make way for the government-backed Belgrade Waterfront redevelopment project that was being implemented with Emirati businessmen. The protest was started by Kozma's Ne Davimo Beograd. However, the political figures connected to the demolition were never charged by the prosecution.

In 2017, after presidential elections that the opposition claimed were ‘stolen’ by Vucic, student-led protesters took to the streets all over Serbia in the so-called ‘Protests against Dictatorship’. Vucic remained in power.

From autumn 2018 to 2020, Serbs marches in the ‘One of Five Million’ protests, accusing the government for political violence and corruption. Again with little success.

The only two demonstrations that achieved anything were the violent anti-lockdown protests in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic and environmental protests in 2021 against multinational company Rio Tinto's lithium-mining project, when demonstrators blocked roads in Belgrade. Both times Vucic met the protesters’ demands, stopping the lockdown and, in the Rio Tinto case, urging the government to stop the project – at least for a while.

Police in riot gear stand off with protesters blocking the E-75 highway in Belgrade, Serbia, 27 November 2021. Anti-government demonstrators blocked roads and bridges in Serbia to protest against new laws they say favor interests of foreign investors devastating the environment. EPA-EFE/ANDREJ CUKIC

Asked what the political strategy of the opposition would be if Vucic uses the same tactics, particularly as the summer holiday season is coming, Kozma said that the protesters need to be persistent since there are no pre-manufactured solutions.

"These protests are something new and different than those in previous years. People of different political views, social status and generations are on the streets. We, as the opposition, are doing everything so the protests do not stop and that we all stay motivated and focused," he said.

"Of course, there is always the fear that it will stop, but that is normal and human. All what we can do is continue to fight and try to be smart in organising these protests, day by day," he added.

He stressed that they always make every protest slightly different. At the fifth protest, a lot of actors gave speeches because government officials had criticised famous actors for supporting the rallies. The next protest, scheduled for June 9, will be dedicated to education and school teachers.

"Vucic did not shut down reality [TV] programmes, but did shut schools before time. That is easier," said Kozma, referring to a government decision to abruptly end the school year two weeks early because of the shootings.

"We want to use next protest to talk about our education and how our school teachers are threated," he said.

Asked about Vucic's call for dialogue with the opposition, Kozma described it as hypocritical, as the offer of talks was preceded by insults.

He also argued that Vucic's narrative that only elections can be the solution is a trap, as the protesters have clearly stated their demands already.

"Insulting and slandering the person you are inviting for a conversation cannot be a civilised and hospitable approach," he said.

"If he wants to talk, the president of Serbia will have to honestly hear the cries of hundreds of thousands of citizens who are telling him that the system has fallen apart and that our country and our entire society will fall apart if the demands of the protest are not met."