On 10th July 2021, on the 26th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, Women in Black held a protest under the slogan “We will never forget the Srebrenica genocide” in Republic Square in Belgrade.
In mourning and silence, the scenic action “Srebrenica – the name of genocide” was performed, consisting of the following elements:
- Srebrenica - the name of genocide – observing international court rulings, rebellion against the shameful renaming of genocide - central banner.
- 8372 - bringing to the public stage the number of people killed in genocide is respect for court-established facts. In this way, we symbolically inscribe in the collective memory what is denied / falsified / played down by the majority public of Serbia - the scale of the genocide in Srebrenica.
- Solidarity - Srebrenica - Women in Black - installing a symbolic / living memorial is a continuation of the construction of a monument to the victims of genocide, after our long-standing requests to approve the construction of a permanent monument to the victims of the Srebrenica genocide in Belgrade were rejected.
- The factual truth about the genocide - which most people in Serbia do not want to see, know about or accept - ghostly figures denounce a society of moral breakdown, a community of zombies; instead of silence and complicity, they express sympathy and solidarity with the victims by disclosing long-known facts - this part of the action was carried out by seven activists completely wrapped in black tulle, which they unfolded by presenting information about the Srebrenica genocide on the public stage.
- Installation of the Flower of Srebrenica - a symbol of mass suffering of people, the petals of this flower represent July 11th, 1995; it is a symbol of the joint struggle for the dignity of the victims of genocide
- Installing a symbolic memorial: the figure 8372 is engraved on the stone - as a sign of non-violent rebellion against the denial of the genocide in Srebrenica.
- The Srebrenica genocide was carried out with the direct support of the Serbian regime.
- The Srebrenica genocide took place from 11th to 22nd July 1995.
- 8,372 Bosniak men aged between 12 and 77 were killed in the genocide.
- Sites of mass executions: Jadar, Cerska, Tišća, Grbavci, Orahovac, Pilica, Branjevo.
- Over 20,000 members of Serb armed formations took part in the genocide.
- The remains of the killed were found in over 60 mass graves.
- All buses for deportations were from Serbia: “7th July”-Šabac, “Strela”-Valjevo, “Raketa”-Užice ...
Even before the arrival of Women in Black, Republic Square was occupied by a large number of members of pro-fascist organizations. Women in Black reported the action to the police on June 25th, 2021. However, over 70 fascists constantly obstructed the action with insults, threats, and the like. They were carrying many pictures and flags with the image of the Hague convict Ratko Mladic, flags with skulls and other fascist symbols. Among them was Simo Spasić, president of the Association of Missing Kidnapped Serbs. We immediately asked the police when that rally was reported, the police did not know or did not want to tell us, which led us to the conclusion that there is a direct connection between the regime and the hooligan / pro-fascist groups. Everything the said fascist group did was carried out without adequate police intervention.
Throughout the action, the fascists shouted, yelled, hollered death threats over a megaphone, chanting:
- Ratko Mladić, Serbian hero - Srebrenica – is not genocide - Whores in Black - Ustasha cunts - Staša Ustasha - Staša, I’ll run you over by car! - Staša, I’ll kill you! - Staša, who’s going to bury you? - Staša, you whore - Staša, don’t cry too much in the embassy tonight. Cry, but not much. - Staša, Gargamel - Get lost from Serbia - Fuck you in the mouth - You black whore - Why don’t you talk about Serbian victims? - Whore, where are Serbian victims? - Poor thing, motherfucker Ustasha - Whores, fagots, you fucked up Serbia - My Mladić, your problem is that you are a Serbian hero - Radovan Karadžić, Radovan Karadžić - Oh Serbia, our mother, don't grieve, just call, all the falcons will give their lives for - Montenegro, stay with us forever - Serbia, Russia, never Yugoslavia - Serbia, Russia, we don’t need a union - Long live Serbia! - Srpska, Serbia, never the Federation - Ustashas - Srebrenica, is not genocide, is not genocide! - General, at your command, we shall fly like bullets! - Brace up, brace up, Chetniks, there will be a mighty fight! - Hurl bombs Chetniks! - From this victory of ours the sun of freedom is being born! - From Topola, from Topola, all the way to Ravna Gora, all are guards, all are guards of General Draža, and patrols, and patrols of Kalabić Nikola, reconnaissance, reconnaissance of Pavle Đurišić, the vanguard, the vanguard of Voivode Đujić, and ambush, and ambush of Račić, all of them - Draža is alive, he hasn’t died, as long as there are Serbs and Serbia - Long live, long live, the kingdom of Serbia - Women in Black are pre-war, war, and post-war mongers. They didn’t lose anyone. None of their folk was killed, etc.
Also, the fascists played songs over loudspeakers glorifying war criminals, denying the verdicts of the Hague Tribunal, mocking the victims, etc.
While Staša Zajović was giving a statement to the media, most members of fascist groups swarmed in that place, creating strong physical pressure, repeating the open threats to Staša Zajović mentioned above.
The protest was covered by the media, and it took place with great police security.
The protest was attended by seventy-odd activists from Belgrade, Novi Sad, Leskovac, Vlasotince, Kraljevo, Zrenjanin, Novi Pazar, Niš, Pančevo.
Beograd: Žene u crnom obilježile 26. godišnjicu genocida - Al Jazeera
Performans Žena u crnom o Srebrenici, prisutni desničari skandirali Ratku Mladiću - Danas
Performans Žena u crnom o Srebrenici na Trgu, desničari skandirali Ratku Mladiću - N1
On July 11, a group of about 20 Women in Black activists visited the Potočari Memorial Center, where they attended the burial / funeral of the remains of those killed in the Srebrenica genocide.