Belgrade, July 10, 2025.
On the occassion of the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, Women in Black organized a vigil in mourning and silence in Republic Square.
In this vigil the following banners were displayed:
- We shall never forget the Srebrenica genocide
- Srebrenica – the name of genocide
- Responsability
- Solidarity
- Women in Black and Srebrenica
This action, performed by Women in Black, with the support of art collectives Škart, Dah theatre, as well as activists of civil society, consisted of following segments:
We shall never forget the Srebrenica genocide - the installation of a symbolic/living memorial is the continuation of the construction of a monument to the victims of genocide, since our years-long persistent requests that the construction of a permanent monument to the victims of genocide in Srebrenica in Belgrade be approved were rejected.
During the public action in mourning and silence, the stage action:
“Serbia, look at yourself in the mirror: You will see Srebrenica! - 30 years – 30 years of mirrors “ – 30 people came to the Square holding 30 mirrors.
- Mirrors - because society refuses to look in the mirror, refuses to face the burden of crimes from the past and to build a society based on respect for the dignity of victims. On these mirrors we put black ribbons – the symbol of pain and mourning, as well as a symbol of rebelion against the denial of genocide.
- Mirrors - thinking primarily about the victims, but also about ourselves: the society in whose name the crimes were committed should be looked at in the mirror of the victims, and that is what restores our humanity.
- Mirrors - it brings to light solidarity with victims, resistance to crimes, every kind of condemnation of instigators and perpetrators - moral, political, criminal and legal.
- 8372 – four activists displayed on the public stage (on the steps of the equestrian monument) the number of the killed in the genocide represents the recognition of judicially established facts. With this act, we symbolically inscribe into the collective memory what is denied/falsified/downplayed in the majority of the public in Serbia - the extent of the genocide in Srebrenica.
In this protest participated one hundred activists from: Belgrade, Pančevo, Priboj, Vlasotince, Leskovac, Kruševac, Sombor, Novi Sad, Priboj na Limu, Pljevlja, Subotica, Sarajevo, London, Berlin and Israel (Haifa and Megido).
During the protest, two persons shouted during the whole action, slogans against the recognition of the genocide in Srebrenica, as well as other nationalist slogans. The protest was covered by the media, with police security.
