Notes
On the 25th anniversary of the fall of Vukovar, Women in Black organized a series of events.
- November 1st 2016 we reiterated our request to the Zrenjanin and Žitište municipalities for a memorial plaque in the Stajićevo and Begejci camps (places of suffering and torture of Croatian prisoners following the fall of Vukovar). There is still no reply from the Serbian state regarding the establishment of camps and for the killing and torture of Croatian prisoner, indicating the continuity of impunity in Serbia!
- We uploaded digital books on the Women in Black website for the 25 th anniversary of the fall of Vukovar (the facts about the killing of a city, the trial for the crimes committed in Vukovar, and activities of Women in Black regarding the commemoration of Vukovar). This contribution is in regards to changing the narrative about the wars of the 1990s, and Serbia's involvement in them – the truth about these events must become part of the formal education system and undeniable historical truth, in order to change the moral order, the value system, and cultural patterns.
- Vukovar – The Killing of a City – The opening of an exhibition of photographs by Srdjan Veljović will took place on November 18th 2016 in Šok Koridor 22 (Shock Corridor 22, located in the Zmaj Jovina 22 passage, Novi Sad), the joint action will include MMC Art Klinike (MMC Art Clinic) from Novi Sad and Women in Black from Belgrade. The exhibition, which will last one month, brings out what most people in this country do not want to acknowledge – the crimes that took place in Vukovar. The exhibition is also an act of compassion, solidarity, and accountability, towards the victims of the crimes in Vukovar. The opening of the exhibition was attended by activists from Women in Black and Art Clinic, as well as the exhibition curator.
- Vukovar – The Killing of a City – A street action was held in Republic Square, Belgrade on November 18th 2016 from 18:00 – 19:00. All participants wore black to represent mourning. We held space for one of the most shameful events in the history of Belgrade – the throwing of flowers on to the JNA (Yugoslavian National Army) tanks that were on the destructive path to Vukovar. The “Farewell Ceremony” for the tanks continues to be covered with a vow of silence and denial! We will remind everyone of the 87 days of killing of the city and its inhabitants, and the countless crimes committed in our name...
During the street action, the following signs were held:
- September 19, 1991 – Citizens of Belgrade throw flowers in front of tanks, and escorted the First Guards of the Armoured Division of the JNA, on their way to their destructive spree. This is one of the most shameful events in the history of Belgrade!
- September 19, 1991 – Flowers on tanks in Belgrade – Vukovar. Accountability!
- We will never forget the crimes in Vukovar
- JNA held the besieged Vukovar for 87 days; more than 1000 civilians were killed, 25 000 were wounded, and the non-Serb population was expelled; at Ovčara, more than 200 sick and wounded prisoners taken from the Vukovar hospital were killed; Urbicide destroyed almost the entire city; thousands of people passed through camps in Serbia (in Aleksinac, Begejci, Belgrade, Niš, Sremska Mitrovica, Stajićevo).
- November 18, 1991 – Camps in Serbia. Accountability!
- Following the fall of Vukovar (November 18, 1991) prisoners were taken to camps in Serbia: Stajićevo, Sremska Mitrovica, Belgrade, Aleksinac, and Niš. Approximately 10 000 Vukovar civilians and soldiers passed through these camps, 300 of which were killed, and 495 of which are still missing. For the establishment of the camp and for the killing and torture of prisoners, there is still no reply from the state!
The street action included a performance.
87 bricks were laid on the ground – a representation of the duration of the siege; on each brick, numbers 1 to 87 were written in white; the differences in the brick materials and sizes and shapes were all symbols of destruction. Four activists took turns laying the bricks on the ground, while at the same time, one activist had a megaphone and recited information about the killing of a city.
87 candles were lit - this was a symbol of Vukovar, to mark the fall, but also a symbol of anti-war resistance in burning candles in Belgrade during the siege of Vukovar (of course, including the other crimes as well...)
During the street action, the following information on the killing of a city was read out:
- August 25, 1991 – JNA Unit for Territorial Defense and volunteers from Serbia began the siege of Vukovar, which lasted 87 days...
- August 25, 1991 – JNA attacked from the air, from the ground, and from the Danube River, beginning the "hell in Vukovar"
- September 14, 1991 – the beginning of a total attack on Vukovar. Aircrafts and artillery threw bombs and grenades over the city for hours. Tanks, armoured personnel carriers, and infantry moved in on the city from all directions...
- September 20 & 21, 1991 – Elc castle was bombed and set on fire. The fire lasted two days...
- Late September, 1991 – Workers’ homes were bombed, torched, and burned in the fire...
- Serbian armed formations carried out attacks on the city of Vukovar from the air, from the land, and from the Danube River. Vukovar became a symbol of the barbaric destruction of cities during wartime...
- September 19, 1991 – Citizens of Belgrade throw flowers in front of tanks, and escorted the First Guards of the Armoured Division of the JNA, on their way to their destructive spree. This is one of the most shameful events in the history of Belgrade!
- September 19, 1991 – Flowers on tanks in Belgrade. Expressway to Vukovar. Accountability!
- October 1, 1991 – Vukovar was completely surrounded by Serbian forces...
- October 2, 1991 – The fiercest attack on the besieged and Vukovar...
- During the siege of Vukovar, war crimes, Urbicide, and culturicide were committed – the historic core of the city was destroyed; all museums, Elc castle, the city theatre, the workers' homes...
- Early October, 1991 – the medical centre was located in a basement, and most of the wounded people died due to the lack of medicine, blood, blood plasma, and medical supplies...
- During the siege of the city, Vukovar civilians were in shelters and basements, without electricity, water, food, telephone lines for communicating with the outside world...
- "Who will watch over my city, my friends, who will carry Vukovar out of this darkness? Someone has touched my parks; the benches that still have your names carved into them, where you gave and received your first kiss – somebody has simply stolen it, because how can we possibly explain that there are no shadows left?" (Journalist Siniša Glavašević, Story of a Town).
- November 3, 1991 – JNA closed all entrances into the city...
- Residents of Vukovar lived in cellars for 3 months: people went underground because on the ground, there was no life. (Writer Pavao Pavličić, Vukovar Catacombs)
- November 14, 1991 – the beginning of the final attack – the JNA ran along the length of the Vuka River...
- Throughout November, 1991 – the St. Nicholas Orthodox church was completely destroyed.
- 261 wounded civilians and medical personnel were taken from the hospital in Vukovar, of which 260 were killed at the Ovčara farm, and 61 of which are still missing.
- 700 000 grenades were thrown on Vukovar. Thirty thousand Serbian Armed Forces personnel were involved in the attack on Vukovar, 1 600 tanks, JNA aviation, navy… Vukovar was brought to the ground, leaving behind a wasteland and ashes...
- During the siege of Vukovar, war crimes were committed, along with Urbicide and culturicide – the historic core of the city was destroyed; Vukovar became a symbol of the barbaric destruction of cities during wartime...
- November 18, 1991 – the fall of the city; more than 30 000 people were expelled from the Vukovar Municipality.
- November 18, 1991 – Following the fall of Vukovar, prisoners were taken to camps in Serbia: Stajićevo, Sremska Mitrovica, Belgrade, Aleksinac, and Niš. Approximately 10 000 Vukovar civilians and soldiers passed through these camps, of which 300 were killed, and of which 495 are still missing. For the establishment of the camp and for the killing and torture of prisoners, there is still no reply from the state!
- November 18, 1991 – Camps in Serbia... Accountability!
- Vukovar in 1991 was under siege for a full 87 days, at the hands of the JNA and Serbian Paramilitary Formations. Over 1 000 civilians were killed, and over 25 000 people were wounded, while thousands of sick and wounded prisoners passed through camps in Serbia.
- For the crime of Urbicide, for the establishment of the camps, and for the killing and torturing of Croatian prisoners, there is still no reply from the state, indicating continued impunity in Serbia.
There were over 50 participants in the street action; Women in Black activists were accompanied by activists from the Association of the Movement of Mothers of Srebrenica and Žepa Enclaves, and Anima from Djulić and Klisa. The following groups also provided their support: Autonomous Women's Centre, Reconstruction Women's Fund, Youth Initiative for Human Rights, and the Humanitarian Law Fund.
Despite the fact that there was police security at the action, along with good media coverage of the event, there was an unidentified man who taped paper on to the Knez Mihailo monument (in front of which the protest took place) that read the following:
Women in Black are the shame of the Serbian people.
- Responsibility and Solidarity – On November 19th, 2016, WiB visited Vukovar, together with the women of Srebrenica and Zvornik (Djulići, Klisa). In Vukovar, we paid homage to the victims along with their families, as well as the civilians of Vukovar. We attended a memorial service that was held in Borovo village near the ruins of Borovo Commerce. We visited the Ovčara Farm, where the people taken from the hospital were killed and buried. We then attended the memorial service held in Borovo village, on the banks of the Danube River.
Pad Vukovara simbol varvarskog rušenja grada - N1 info
Pad Vukovara je simbol varvarskog rušenja gradova - Anadolu Agency
Staša Zajović: Vojvodina mora da se oduži Vukovaru i sebi - Radio Gornji Grad
Staša Zajović: Vojvodina mora da se oduži Vukovaru i sebi - portal Autonomija
Žene u crnom organizovale mirovnu akciju- "Vukovar- ubijanje jednog grada" - Tanjug
Nikada nećemo zaboraviti zločine u Vukovaru - All events in City
Žene u crnom: Pad Vukovara simbol varvarskog rušenja grada - 24 sata info
