Thousands of people rallied on January 16 in the streets of the Montenegrin capital to protest what they call an inadequate government response to a mass shooting that killed 13 people in the city of Cetinje on January 1.
The protesters in Podgorica demanded the resignation of top security officials, saying the mass shooting was a consequence of a broken system and irresponsible actions by authorities.
"No one has taken responsibility, and so we ask: Where are those responsible? Why have they remained silent for days?" said a protester, who did not provide her name.
Participants carried posters saying the resignation of government officials would be the minimum step toward taking responsibility.
They called for Interior Minister Danilo Saranovic and the deputy prime minister in charge of security, Aleksa Becic, to step down.
The participants, who observed 13 minutes of silence to honor the victims, also called for the confiscation of firearms, stricter regulations for obtaining gun licenses, and the reintroduction of civic education as a mandatory subject in schools.
The New Year's Day shooting killed 13 people, including two children, in Cetinje, a city in southern Montenegro with a population of about 13,000 located about 34 kilometers west of Podgorica. Relatives and friends of the suspected shooter, Aco Martinovic, were among the victims.
SEE ALSO: Montenegro Cracks Down On Guns After New Year's MassacreMartinovic died on the way to the hospital after attempting suicide. The motive for the shooting is unclear. Authorities in 2022 confiscated illegal weapons from Martinovic, and he received a three-month prison sentence in late 2024, which he had appealed.
In response to the shooting, the government on January 3 announced a raft of new gun-control measures following a seven-hour session of the National Security Council.
The proposals include the reverification of existing weapons licenses and severe penalties for those who fail to surrender illegal weapons within a two-month period.
A protest led by students on January 5 filled the streets of Podgorica and also called for more of a response from the government. The students declined an invitation from Prime Minister Milojko Spajic to meet and discuss their demands.
They said their demands were clear and asked the government to publicly announce whether they would be adopted.