On the occasion of the 22nd anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, the Network of Women in Black, with the support of Multimedia Center Led Art, Dah Theater, Youth Initiative for Human Rights and Autonomous Women Center organized in Republic Square in Belgrade, on 10th July 2017, a performance, in mourning and in silence “Srebrenica 8372...”.
The gathering had been properly reported to the police. Upon the arrival of activists and citizens in Republic Square, at the site place where the gathering was supposed to take place, there was already a group of people, and among them, a large number of members of extreme right-wing organizations.
Simo Spasić (from the Association of kidnapped and killed Serbs in Kosovo) headed this public action.
Radomir Počuča, who has been on suspended sentence for participating in the war in Ukraine and was recently acquitted of the criminal act of endangering the security of Women in Black activists, Miša Vacić, convicted for attacks on LGBT people, who until recently was adviser
in the Government of Aleksandar Vučić, Milovan Drecun, a journalist who gained notoriety during the wars by spreading hatred towards other nations, especially towards the Albanians in Kosovo, today the MP of the Serbian Progressive Party and Chairman of the National
Assembly Committee for Kosovo. A large number of members of the extremist organization Zavetnici, as well as the neo-Nazi organization Alternativa, were noticed.
Among other things, they held a banner with photos of Serbs who were killed in Srebrenica in 1992, Russian and Serbian flags, and also flags with the images of the Hague indictees and prisoners Radovan Karadžić and Ratko Mladić.
The police moved the citizens who came to the gathering of Women in Black to the other end of the Republic Square, surrounded them, and practically restricted movement, as well as access to the gathering. Activists and citizens who wanted to join had problems, because the
police did not allow them to join. At the same time, members of the right-wing organizations moved freely, pushed, threatened and insulted the citizens who came to honor the victims of the Srebrenica genocide. The police told us that the note about the right-wing gathering had
been received on that day. According to the law, each public meeting must be reported to the police 5 days in advance. When we asked the policeman about this, he responded: "They called the Cabinet of the Minister of the Interior".
Although they had the right to ban it, because it was scheduled at the same time and at the same location as Women in Black gathering, by persons known for violent behavior, and with the sole purpose to prevent and hinder a Women in Black action, the police allowed this
“counter-protest” set by extreme right-wingers.
Women in Black performed their peace action opposite the monument, at the other end of Republic Square.
Ten women activists stood on stage holding blanc black sheets of paper. To their left, activists held banners bearing the words Solidarity and I admit, and to their right banners with the words Accountability and Srebrenica - we remember. At one moment, the activists turned the papers around and thus formed the word SREBRENICA in silver letters.
Behind them, a group of activists were holding silver sheets of paper bearing the number 8372... At one moment, a group of activists stepped out and stood opposite the counter protest holding banners.
Around one hundred (100) female and male activists participated in this action. The action was secured by the police, and received exceptionally good media coverage.
Please find attached the links concerning this action:
Dva skupa za srebreničke žrtve, među njima kordoni policije - N1
Žene u crnom odale poštu žrtvama genocida u Srebrenici - Oslobođenje
Sećanje Žena u crnom na Srebrenicu, kontramiting porodica nestalih Srba - Glas Amerike
Žene u crnom obeležile stradanje Muslimana u Srebrenici - Tanjug
Scenska akcija "Srebrenica 8372" na Trgu republike - Danas
Dva skupa u BG zbog Srebrenice, policija razdvajala - B92
ŽENE U CRNOM: SRBIJA DA PROGLASI 11. JUL DANOM SEĆANJA NA GENOCID U SREBRENICI - Autonomija
Žene u crnom: Srbija treba 11. juli proglasiti danom sjećanja na žrtve genocida - BDC TV
