<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">Tens of thousands of people protested against the government in the Serbian capital Saturday, the latest such rally since mass shootings claimed the lives of 18 people.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Thousands turned out at similar marches, dubbed "Serbia against violence", went ahead in the Balkan country's three other major cities, Novi Sad, Kragujevac and Nis, local media reported.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The rallies have become the largest gatherings since widespread demonstrations triggered the fall of late strongman Slobodan Milosevic over two decades ago.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">They were triggered by two mass shootings in May that claimed 18 lives and left several people wounded.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The dead included nine students at a Belgrade elementary school who were gunned down by a 13-year-old peer.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The demonstrations, organised by several pro-European opposition parties, have tapped into simmering anger at the ruling party over a perceived culture of violence fanned by the government and the media outlets it controls.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Either violence will stop or Serbia will stop," journalist Smiljan Banjac told the crowd in Belgrade.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"This is not radicalisation, this is our cry to protect children, to ensure that they grow up safely."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The protesters want the government to revoke the broadcasting licences of television channels promoting violent content, and a ban on pro-government newspapers that target political dissidents.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">They are also seeking the resignations of the interior minister and the head of the intelligence service.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Critics have for years accused President Aleksandar Vucic of increasingly relying on autocratic measures to disrupt the opposition and control media outlets and state institutions.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Vucic dismissed the protests as a political stunt, and repeated claims about foreign powers allegedly orchestrating the rallies.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Saturday's protests ended without incident. Their organisers said that if their demands were not met, the next rallies would be held in 10 more cities across the country. AFP</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>