Reports

As before, we bring a brief report on the activities of Women in Black in the mentioned period.

During this period, the amount of activities was reduced due to the pandemic virus COVID 19, one of the largest natural disasters that has ever aff ected the entire planet. State of emergency was imposed in Serbia, unconstitutionally, without Parliament, on March 15, 2020. COVID 19 pandemia was used as an excuse for mass violation of human rights, unlawful detentions, brutal suppression of independent media, political prosecution, intensifi cation of militarization of the state and the society and these tendencies continued after the end of state of emergency, May 6^th 2020.

Street actions: In this reporting period we organized eight (8) events, and we also actively participated in other street actions:
- commemoration/marking important dates of crimes committed in our names;
- Feminist, anti-fascist, anti-war, anti-racist, anti-militaristic actions...

COMMEMORATION/MARKING OF IMPORTANT DATES OF CRIMES COMMITTED IN OUR NAME, AS WELL AS OTHER CRIMES AGAINST CIVILIAN POPULATION, DURING AND AFTER THE WARS, ON THE TERRITORY OF FORMER YUGOSLAVIA:

May 22^th, Kruševac - We Remember Brave Resistance of Women!”
Women’s organization „Peščanik“ from Kruševac and Women in Black, Belgrade marked the 21^th anniversary of the women’s protest against forced mobilization in 1999. This peace action, organized on the occasion of May 24^th – International Day of Women’s Action for Peace and Disarmament, activists recalled the courageous resistance of women to mobilization and war in Kosovo.
In memory of that day, activists stood on the square holding banners with inscriptions:

• We remember the courage of the women of the Rasina district
• We remember women’s resistance to forced mobilization
• Women courage

On this occasion, in the main city square, was made by Aleksandra Beba Jelić (WIB activist) artistic play Women courage – transformation of pain into women’s active resistance.
In this action participated fi fteen (15) activists.

Women’s Association “Pescanik”, Women’s Network of Rasina District and Women in Black Network mark this day since 2014. The mentioned associations send an initiative every year to the City of Kruševac to declare May 24th the Day of Remembrance for the Revolt against Forced Mobilization in Kruševac and Rasina District in 1999.
In the initiative, among other things, it states: “In May 1999, several thousand mothers, sisters, wives and citizens marched day by day in the streets of the city demanding the end of the war in Kosovo and the termination of the mobilization of men. We still do not know who is responsible for 12,000 mobilized during 3 months and 52 dead people in Rasina district. We still do not know who is responsible for the immense losses, suff ering, and traumas of women caused by the forced mobilization of their male relatives.“ So far, the authorities have been silent about this initiative.

June 19th, Foča (Bosnia and Herzegovina) - “We Remember Women Raped in War in Bosnia and Herzegovina“
– On the occasion of the 19th of June - the International Day Against Sexual Violence in War, the action performed by War victims associations Foča 92-95 from Sarajevo.

The UN General Assembly declared June 19, 2015, the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in War. During the war, over 3,000 Bosniaks were killed in Foca, of whom one in three victims were women; Foča is at the very top of the scale in terms of the number of raped women; in Foča, girls were also raped, the youngest of whom was only 11 years old, it is stated in the invitation of the Foča Association 92-95.

The following activities were organized within this event:

• Protest in front of the Partizan Sports Hall (as one of the many places of detention and sexual violence against women) fl owers were laid and honor was paid to all abused and killed women in Bosnia. On this occasion spoke: Halida Konjo Uzunovic, President of the Association of War Victims FOCA 92-95, Staša Zajović, Women in Black, Belgrade, Melika Mahmutbegović, Vicepresidente of Federation of B&H;
• Peaceful march on the streets of Foca with banners (from the Partizan Hall to the Main Square);
• Standing on the Main Square commemorating all abused women in Bosnia;
• Continuing our march through the city towards Aladza Mosque backyard – hanging out/meet up.

In this event participated 50 persons and four (4) Women in Black Network activists.

Belgrade, 10. jul Srebrenica - “We will never forget the Srebrenica genocide“
- on the occassion of the 25th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, Women in Black and art collective ’Škart’ organized peace action in black and silence, in Republique Square.
Two banners were displayed during the standing:
– We will never forget the Srebrenica genocide
– Responsibility
– Solidarity

The peace action wearing black and in silence was carried out on the Republic Square (near the monument), and consisted of the following segments:

• Installation of a symbolic / living memorial – continuation of the construction of a monument to the victims of the Srebrenica genocide. At the beginning of the action, the activists held a black cloth / black fl ora – a symbol of pain and grief – with the inscription ‘We will never forget the genocide in Srebrenica’. Then, on the highest step of the monument “by the Horse”, a large black banner was placed, which reads 25 years.
• in the continuation of the action, the activists held 25 silver foils / mirrors with the number 8372... the number of people killed in the genocide. By this act, we present to the public space what is being denied/diminished in the majority public of Serbia - the scale of the genocide in Srebrenica.
• white color – a symbol of grief / sorrow of the community of victims, a couple of activists came out to the central part of the Square wearing white scarves - bringing to the public space what the state and society deny; the activists then spread their scarves and held them in wide open arms - an act of commitment to the victims. Then, white scarves were distributed to all participants in the action, and “taking over” white scarves is an act of compassion and responsibility towards the victims. At the end of the action, white roses were laid on the sidewalk – a symbol of tenderness towards the victims of genocide.

The action lasted shorter than the planned time, it was held in a very tense atmosphere, both due to strict epidemiological measures, and primarily due to the attack of a fascist group of men.
They tried to stop the action, the fascists shouted: “Long live Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic”, “Srebrenica is not genocide”, etc. It is obvious that they were instructed by the regime to stop the peace action of Women in Black.

FEMINIST, ANTI-FASCIST, ANTI–WAR, ANTI–RACIST, ANTI–MILITARISTIC ACTIONS

Report on our activities in pdf.