Families, citizens mourn victims of Ribnikar school mass murder, while Belgrade City authorities observe "Family Days"

Several hundred citizens gathered in front of the school, including members of opposition political parties, university professors, as well as students who participate in the ongoing protests, who laid flowers on behalf of their faculties.

Traffic in the part of this street around the school is blocked, and citizens are waiting in lines from several directions in order to lay wreaths, flowers and light candles in front of the board with photos of the victims.

The organizers asked the crowd to have the gathering pass in silence and to sign the book of memories, which they will be able to do throughout the day.

The working group for establishing the Memorial Center in memory of the victims sent an open letter to the City Assembly and the mayor, Nikola Nikodijevic and Aleksandar Sapic, "on the occasion of the inappropriate holding of the 'Belgrade Family Days' event on May 3 and 4."

Those days were established by the Government's decision as Days of Remembrance for the victims of two mass murders in Serbia - the one in Ribnikar and another one in Mladenovac, both two years ago.

"During the weekend when the whole Serbia should stop and remember the innocent lives extinguished in senseless violence, the City of Belgrade - the city of most of the victims whom we remember today and tomorrow - celebrates, citizens are invited to participate in numerous entertainment events, as part of that manifestation, which expresses the complete absence of consideration, empathy," the letter said.

"The City of Belgrade today decided to completely forget one of the biggest tragedies that happened in the city in recent history and to celebrate. Just like last year, and this year on May 3 and 4, the tragedies that we remember are also marked with the word 'We remember'. Only the City of Belgrade decided to forget," it added.