As we have done in the past, we are providing you with a short report on the activities of Women in Black in the reporting period.
We would like to thank you in advance, in solidarity.
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 wars, in the territory of the former Yugoslavia:
May 24th, Kruševac “We Remember the Brave Resistance of Women!”
– Women’s organization “Peščanik” from Kruševac and Women in Black, Belgrade marked the 24th anniversary of the women’s protest against forced mobilization in 1999. By this peace action, organized on the occasion of May 24th – International Day of Women’s Action for Peace and Disarmament, activists recalled the courageous resistance of women to mobilization and war in Kosovo. And on this occasion, a request was sent to the state of Serbia and the local administration in the Rasina District to declare May 24 as the Day of Remembrance of the May protests and brave resistance of the citizens of Kruševac and the Rasina District.
The following banners were displayed during the vigil:
- We remember the courage of the Rasina district women
- We remember women’s resistance to forced mobilization
- We remember women’s protests 1999!
- Everything for Peace, Health and Education
- Nothing for Armament etc.
- Stop the violence
- Stop the weapons
During the action leafl ets were distributed, the reactions were positive until one man started screaming:
“All Women in Black should be sent to prisoner camps”! The police offi cers in the car, which was parked nearby, did not react...
One female citizen supported us by saying: I agree with everything you hold and ask for!
Twenty-odd (20) female activists participated in the action.
Belgrade, June 19 “Stop war rape!”
On the occasion of June 19 - the International Day of Combating Sexual Violence in War, Women in Black, the Autonomous Women’s Center and the Youth Initiative for Human Rights in Serbia organized a protest in mourning and silence We remember the women raped in the war - we remember the women of Foča, June 19 2023, from 1 pm to 2 pm, in Republic Square in Belgrade.
The following banners were displayed at the protest:
- We remember the women raped in the war
- Rape in war is a war crime
- Let’s remember the Foča women
- June 19 – International Day of Combating Sexual Violence in War
- The State of Serbia does not recognize the war crime of rape - Admit it!
Twenty-odd activists (20) took part in the protest.
Belgrade, July 10 “We will never forget the Srebrenica genocide”
- On the occasion of the 28th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica, Women in Black held, in Republic Square in Belgrade, a peace action in mourning and silence under the slogan “We will never forget the Srebrenica genocide“, which consisted of the following elements:
- Installing a symbolic/living memorial - the continuation of the construction of the memorial to the victims of the Srebrenica genocide after our multi-year requests to approve the construction of a permanent memorial to the victims of the genocide in Srebrenica in Belgrade were rejected. Activists held a black band - a symbol of pain and mourning - with the inscription ‘We will never forget the Srebrenica genocide’, as well as banners: Solidarity – Srebrenica – Women in Black” and Responsibility.
- 8372 – stage action - putting on the public stage the number of those killed in the genocide represents respect for the dignity of the victims, as well as respect for the facts established by the court. By the act of writing 8,372 in salt on the pavement, what is denied/falsifi ed/downplayed in the majority of the Serbian public - the scale of the genocide in Srebrenica - is symbolically written. On the top step of the equestrian monument in the Square, women activists held a black banner with 8,372 written in silver
- White roses – a symbol of tenderness and sublimity, care and attention to the victims of genocide, were distributed to the participants, who were then individually laid on the pavement next to the number 8,372.
- The factual truth about the genocide – which most people in Serbia do not want to see, know or accept; the disclosure of longknown facts showed sympathy and solidarity with the victims; bringing to the public stage information about the genocide in Srebrenica:
- The Srebrenica genocide was carried out with the direct support of the Serbian regime.
- The genocide in Srebrenica was carried out from July 11 to 22, 1995.
- 8,372 Bosniak men between the ages of 12 and 77 were killed in the genocide.
- Places of mass executions: Jadar, Cerska, Tišća, Grbavci, Orahovac, Pilica, Branjevo.
- More than 20,000 members of Serbian armed formations participated in the genocide.
- The remains of those killed were found in over 60 mass graves.
- All deportation buses were from Serbia: July 7-Šabac, Strela-Valjevo, Raketa-Užice...
- On 15 January 2009, the European Parliament proclaimed July 11 the European Commemorative Day for the victms of the Srebrenica genocide.
- On June 8, 2022, Ratko Mladić was sentenced to life imprisonment. The Hague Tribunal sentenced 12 people to 255 years in prison for the genocide in Srebrenica.
- Remove the mural of war criminal Ratko Mladić! - an act of rebellion against murals celebrating a war criminal convicted of genocide in Srebrenica, a request to remove murals located throughout Serbia.
Arriving at the square, we found two women who, holding banners denying the genocide in Srebrenica, took a position directly under the monument and did not want to move away. Uniformed policemen set up a cordon between us and them.
We asked the policemen when their gathering was reported, and the policemen pretended not to hear the question or did not want to tell us – apparently, they were forbidden to communicate with us. After the same question was put to the inspector present, he left the scene, held telephone consultations, probably with his superiors, and upon his return convinced the aforementioned two women to move away from the monument, after which they joined the group on the other side of the square interfering with the action. Namely, even before the arrival of the Women in Black, a group of about twenty people - mostly men and a couple of women - gathered at Republic Square, who disrupted the action by insulting, shouting, and threatening:
- Srebrenica is not genocide!
- Ratko Mladić – Serbian hero!
- Ratko Mladić fought against terrorism, he excelled in numerous battles...
- Fuck you 8372!
- Mladić will fuck you again!
- You are the shame of Serbia!
- You will end up in a camp, all of you!
- This is Serbia, you came here to breed!
- Get out of Serbia!
- You cunts! - Look at them – how ugly and stupid they are, none of them looks good!
- Your children and grandchildren are ashamed of you!
- Sofija – aren’t you ashamed! (To Sofija Todorović, Youth Initiative for Human Rights)
- Staša, you whore – Zajović, pick your coffi n! (WiB activist)
- Shaggy Miloš, we’ll get you! (WiB activist),
- Our time will come, and then you’ll see!
Near the end of the action, a couple of eggs were thrown from the direction of the monument, and at the very end the mentioned group chanted: Long live Ratko Mladić, Long live Serbia, Long live Republika Srpska!
Over fi fty (55) activists from Belgrade, Novi Sad, Leskovac, Vlasotince, Kruševac, Kraljevo, Novi Pazar, Pančevo, etc. participated in this action. After returning from the funeral in Potočari, on 11 July 2023, at around 8:30 p.m., WiB activists saw stickers with the face of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić at the front door of the building where the Women in Black premises are located (Jug Bogdanova 18), which read Ratko Mladić is a hero and Srebrenica is not genocide.
Feminist, anti-fascist, anti-war, anti-racist, anti-militarist actions...
Report on our activities in pdf.