Belgrade, November 18th 2014
Regarding of 23rd anniversary of the downfall of Vukovar, on November 18th 2014 from 15:00 to 16:00 in Knez Mihaiolova Street in Belgrade, Women in Black commemorated in silence and in black the anniversary of the crimes committed in that town.
Four slogans featured in this protest:
- We will never forget crimes in Vukovar
- Women in Black for Peace and Justice
- Justice and Peace - Women for Peace
- Information on the sufferings of the town
At the same time, right beside the Women in Black, Srpski sabor Zavetnici/Serbian Convey Patrons organized a counter-protest where they held a slogan:
- in Cyrillic alphabet) Vukovar will never be (in Latin alphabet) Vukovar
Women in Black had registered their rally, like they do every time they hold a street action. As Women in Black kept insisting that police verifies weather Zavetnici had registered their counter-rally, police eventually answered that the counter-rally had not been registered. Women in Black insisted on getting the written form of police rescript which files the charge against Zavetnici, for not registering the counter-rally.
The protest was very well covered by media, and even with strong police presence, one incident occurred throughout the protest. Two men were shouting at Women in Black activists:
- How much are you paid for this protest and who pays you
- Show us your ID cards and your financial status
- You are necrophiliacs, you only love Serbs dead
- Why don't you mourn the million Serbs who were killed in Jasenovac
- You would prefer if I didn't come back from Jasenovac
- Are you in mourning because I am alive
- Would you love me if I were dead
- Why are you wearing black
- You mourn the living Serbs
- I speak loud for them to hear me, because my health depends on me telling them who they are
- Why are you rummaging dead bones
- You are to blame less than the state who allows you to do this
The protest was attended by the Youth Initiative for Human Rights, the Humanitarian Law Center, the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia, and Reconstruction Women's Fund. Also, the protest was attended by activists of Women in Black Network from Serbia, from following towns: Vlasotince, Leskovac and Krusevac.
Women in Black activists were prevented from distributing leaflets, and to the question why we were not allowed to distribute, the police officer replied: "For security reasons".
