In the evening, thousands of people protested against violence in Belgrade and other Serbian cities – for the tenth time in a row. The demonstrations were prompted by two rampages in May that killed a total of 18 people.
The participants of the Belgrade rally gathered in front of the Parliament in the centre of the capital. According to media reports, they marched to a police headquarters one and a half kilometers away, European Views reported.
The rally participants demanded President Aleksandar Vucic’s resignation and the officials responsible for the security apparatus. They accused Vucic and the tabloid media he controlled of creating a climate of hatred and violence.
According to the dpa news agency, the march to the Belgrade police command was intended to express solidarity with the police forces involved in discovering a drug plantation near Belgrade. Its owner is said to have been a business friend of Vucic’s brother.
Similar protests occurred in the Serbian cities of Novi Sad, Nis, Kragujevac and Valjevo. Left-wing and liberal opposition parties and civil movements had called for the rallies.
As the dpa news agency further reports, fewer people took part in Belgrade than on previous weekends, which the organizers attributed to the holiday season. They assumed that the protests would pick up speed again in September.