BELGRADE: Tens of thousands of people gathered in the Serbian capital Belgrade on Friday, amid growing concern at rising levels of violence following two mass shootings that killed 18 people this month.
The rally marked the third major “Serbia against violence” protest in recent weeks, which has brought thousands to the streets calling for the resignation of top officials.
“We are in shock, disbelief and we are angry,” protester Jelena MiHajjlovic told the crowd gathered in front of the parliament on Friday. “And a question echoes with all of us — what kind of country are we leaving for our children?“
The protests are some of the largest rallies to rock Serbia since mass demonstrations triggered the fall of former strongman Slobodan Milosevic more than two decades ago.
The demonstrators want the government to revoke the broadcasting licenses of television channels promoting violent content, and a ban on pro-government newspapers that stir tensions by targeting political dissidents.
They have also called for the resignation of the interior minister and the head of the intelligence service.
On Friday, members of the pro-European opposition stormed out of a special session of parliament, accusing the ruling party and its allies of aiming to “silence the rally” rather than address the issues raised by the demonstrators.
“We don’t want to be a part of that ... we will join the citizens in the protest,” Zoran Lutovac, the president of the Democratic Party, told reporters.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has dismissed the protests as a “political” stunt.
He scheduled a separate demonstration for his own supporters next week that he has billed as “the biggest gathering in Serbian history.”
Vucic’s close ally Prime Minister Ana Brnabic has also accused “foreign intelligence services” of stirring unrest after the shootings to destabilize Serbia.
Following the shootings, Vucic has vowed to “disarm” Serbia with an ambitious plan that would crack down on legal and illicit firearms.
Serbia has the highest level of gun ownership in Europe, with roughly 39 out of 100 people owning firearms, according to the Small Arms Survey research group.
Tens of thousands protest growing wave of violence in Serbia
https://arab.news/znx2k
Tens of thousands protest growing wave of violence in Serbia
- The rally marked the third major "Serbia against violence" protest in recent weeks
- The demonstrators want the government to revoke the broadcasting licences of television channels promoting violent content
Pull him off TV: Steve Bannon shuts down Sen. Lindsay Graham
- Trump’s former chief strategist called for the senator to be registered as a foreign agent
DUBAI: Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon called on Tuesday for US Senator Lindsey Graham to be registered as a foreign agent of the Israeli government, escalating a growing conservative backlash against the senator’s vocal support for Israel.
Speaking on his podcast “War Room,” Bannon said Graham should be “pulled off of television,” adding: "This is dangerous… because you have guys like Lindsey Graham and dozens more that are doing the wrong thing.”
In a Fox News interview on Monday, Graham said: “To all the antisemites, to all the isolationists… I’m not with you, I’m with Israel, I will be with Israel to our dying day.”
Graham also urged Gulf Arab states to join military action against Iran. “What I want you to do in the Middle East, to our friends in Saudi Arabia and other places, [is] step forward and say, ‘this is my fight too, I join America, I’m publicly involved in bringing this regime down,’” he said.
In a post on X, Graham questioned the value of a US defense agreement with Saudi Arabia following the evacuation of the American embassy in Riyadh, writing: “Why should America do a defense agreement with a country like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that is unwilling to join a fight of mutual interest?”
Faisal Abbas, editor-in-chief of Arab News, responded to Graham’s comments in a Sky News interview, saying: “He flip flops so much, it’s actually entertaining.”
“On one hand, he says he will never set foot in Saudi Arabia. The next day, he’s here signing multimillion-dollar deals.”
“I don’t think anyone here takes him seriously,” Abbas added.
He warned Graham to be careful what he wished for: “Do you really want Saudi Arabia involved in this war putting our oil facilities at risk or do you want us stabilizing the energy markets?”
Graham pressed further, warning that inaction would carry a price. “Hopefully Gulf Cooperation Council countries will get more involved as this fight is in their backyard. If you are not willing to use your military now, when are you willing to use it?”
“Hopefully this changes soon. If not, consequences will follow.”
Graham's remarks drew sharp criticism from Bannon and others including podcast host Megyn Kelly.
She questioned on X whether Graham was overstepping his authority as a senator, writing: “When did Lindsay Graham become our president?”
Kelly also said Graham had threatened Lebanon, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, the wider Arab region, and Spain within a 24-hour period.
The problem with Graham “isn’t (just) that he’s a homicidal maniac, it’s that Trump likes and is listening to him,” she said in another post.
