Serbian Activists Commemorate Srebrenica Anniversary in Belgrade

Source: https://balkaninsight.com/2019/07/12/serbian-activists-commemorate-srebrenica-anniversary-in-belgrade/

In pictures
Serbian Activists Commemorate Srebrenica Anniversary in Belgrade

Milica Stojanovic

Belgrade
BIRN

July 12, 2019

Serbian peace activists and NGOs marked the 24^th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide in Belgrade with a series of activities to commemorate the victims, despite an attempt by nationalists to stage a disruption.

This article is also available in: Shqip Macedonian Bos/Hrv/Srp

Several events were held in Belgrade on Wednesday and Thursday to commemorate the anniversary of the 1995 massacres of thousands of Bosniaks from Srebrenica by Bosnian Serb forces.

On Thursday, Youth Initiative for Human Rights activists lit candles for the victims near the Serbian presidency building, and afterwards, the Helsinski Committee staged a theatre play entitled ‘Srebrenica. When We Who Were Killed Rise Up’.

During the event, a group of some 15 people entered the room where the play was being staged and tried to stop it. They shouted at the audience and director Zlatko Pakovic, and sang a song about former Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladic, but left after around than half an hour.

On Wednesday, peace group Women in Black alongside other anti-war and human rights NGOs held up a banner on Branko’s Bridge in central Belgrade with the words ‘Responsibility’, ‘Solidarity’ and ‘We will never forget Srebrenica genocide’, as well as pieces of paper with the number 8,372 written on them, representing the death toll of the massacres.

Stasa Zajovic from Women in Black said at the event that they were asking for the facts about Srebrenica, determined by courts which have classified the mass killings as genocide, to be respected in Serbia. Serbian officials reject the genocide definition.

“We consider the prime minister and president of Serbia most responsible for propagating a climate in which any kind of responsibility and respect for the verdicts of international courts is rejected. We think it is necessary to change this, not only because it is Serbia’s obligation as part of EU integration but because is represents basic respect for the genocide victims,” Zajovic said.

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Human rights and anti-war activists arrive at Branko’s Bridge in Belgrade on Wednesday. Photo: BIRN/Milica Stojanovic.

Activists on Branko’s Bridge with a banner saying “We will never forget the Srebrenica genocide”. Photo: BIRN/Milica Stojanovic

Activists on Branko’s Bridge. Photo: BIRN/Milica Stojanovic

Activists mark the anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide in Belgrade on Wednesday. Video: BIRN/Milica Stojanovic.

Photo: BIRN/Milica Stojanovic.

The US ambassador to Belgrade, Kyle Scott, and the founder of Humanitarian Law Centre, Natasa Kandic, attended the Youth Initiative for Human Rights action to commemorate Srebrenica on Thursday. Photo: BIRN/Milica Stojanovic.

Activists from the Youth Initiative for Human Rights hold a banner saying “Too young to remember, determined to never forget”. Photo: BIRN/Milica Stojanovic.

Candles were lit in memory of the Srebrenica genocide. Photo: BIRN/Milica Stojanovic.

Nationalist attempt to disrupt a play about Srebrenica at the Kolarac Endowment in Belgrade on Thursday. Photo: BIRN/Milica Stojanovic.

Director Zlatko Pakovic and actors Sanja Markovic, Boris Milivojevic read dialogue from the play. Photo: BIRN/Milica Stojanovic.

A video shows the Scorpions paramilitary unit in Srebrenica in 1995 as protesters try to disrupt the event at the Kolarac Endowment. Photo: BIRN/Milica Stojanovic.

During the screening of the Scorpions video, director Zlatko Pakovic talks about the disruption by nationalists of a play at the Yugoslav Drama Theatre in May 1990. Video: BIRN/Ivana Jeremic.