Shock and horror might have been Serbians’ first reaction to two mass shootings in as many days earlier this month. But outrage swiftly followed.
Tens of thousands of people attended two protests in the capital, Belgrade, with smaller rallies in other cities around the country.
They marched under the banner “Serbia Against Violence” and called for an end to what they viewed as a culture of violence which led to the shootings at a school in Belgrade and, the next day, around Mladenovac, south of Serbia’s capital.
More protests will follow – and the government seems rattled. Senior figures have been talking down the numbers involved, as well as making plans for a “solidarity” rally of their own.
But there is one issue which both protesters and authorities seem to agree on: gun control.
“There is no pro-gun lobby in Serbia,” says Bojan Elek, the deputy director of the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy and an expert on firearms issues in the country.
“There is a national…
This article was written by and originally published on www.bbc.co.uk