BELGRADE, May 26. /TASS/. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has opened a nationwide pro-government rally in front of the parliamentary building in central Belgrade, a TASS correspondent reported on Friday.
Vucic appeared on the stage near the parliamentary building and greeted thousands of demonstrators. Dozens of buses, which have brought people from all around the country, are parked on central streets blocking traffic. People continue to gathering in front of the parliamentary building and adjacent streets, despite the heavy rain.
Grass-roots demonstrations under the slogan Serbia Against Violence were held in Belgrade on May 8,12, and 19 following two shootings that occurred on consecutive days in the country on May 3 and 4. The first was a school shooting in Belgrade where ten people died and seven were wounded, followed up by eight people being killed and 14 wounded by an armed man in Mladenovac the next day. People demanded resignation of Interior Minister Bratislav Gasic and chief of the Security Information Agency Aleksandar Vulin. Apart from that, the demonstrators insisted on the closure of some mass media propagating violence and hatred.
The first rally was quite peaceful, with practically no anti-government slogans. People were simply staying in silence in front of the parliamentary building. During the second rally, protesters blocked a bridge across the Sava River and chanted anti-government slogans. The third action has an anti-government character too. According to the Serbian interior ministry, more than 11,000 people took part in these rallies.
In response, Vucic called on people to take part in the pro-government Serbia of Hope rally in front of the parliamentary building on May 26.