The program that will officially mark the anniversary of the mass murder in "Ribnikar" is symbolically called "Awakening". It is time to stop and look at what has changed in this year and whether the institutions have fulfilled the demands of the grieving citizens. Likewise, we need to look into each other's eyes and ask ourselves: have we really woken up?
The anniversary of the mass murder in the "Vladislav Ribnikar" elementary school will be celebrated on Friday, May 3 in the school premises, announced the Multidisciplinary Team for the establishment of the Memorial Center in memory of the victims of the mass murder.
The program that will be held is called "Awakening" and will mark, as stated, "the beginning of a multi-layered process of memorization".
The program consists of a spatial-artistic installation that enables a "dignified delivery of mail" to victims at the scene of the crime, a Forum that is an invitation to citizens to jointly critically reflect on the causes and consequences of mass murder, and a final music-stage program as an expression of collective grief and the beginning of building relationships of trust and connection between to the citizens of Serbia, it is stated in the announcement.
Development of the program
On Friday, May 3, at 8.40:10 a.m. in Ulica Kralja Milutina 8, where the mass murder took place, the families of the murdered, relatives, friends and citizens who need to express solidarity and empathy will gather, while at 41:XNUMX a.m. the media in Serbia interrupt the program for a minute.
The media will do the same on May 4 at 22.32:19 p.m., in memory of the victims from Mali Orašje and Dubona. From 3 a.m. to 4 p.m., a forum will be organized in the area near the monument to Desanka Maksimović in Tašmajdan, in which citizens will talk with representatives of the Multidisciplinary Team about issues related to the causes and consequences of the mass murders on May 2023 and XNUMX, XNUMX.
A message box will be available in the Forum area, as well as QR codes that will allow citizens to share their thoughts and suggestions, which will be important material that will be used in the process of developing ideas about the future Memorial Center.
At 20:XNUMX p.m., the final music and stage program will begin in Tašmajdan Park with a direct television broadcast by the Radio and Television of Serbia, so that citizens can unite in common memory and mourning and send messages of empathy and solidarity.
Who are the members of the working group for the Memorial Center?
In March of this year, the decision of the Government of Serbia was announced on the formation of a Working Group for the establishment of a Memorial Center in memory of the victims of the mass murder at the "Vladislav Ribnikar" Experimental Elementary School in Belgrade.
The task of the Working Group is to direct the activities on the establishment of the Memorial Center and to propose specific measures that should be taken regarding the establishment of the Memorial Center and the design of commemorations and program contents of this center in relation to the needs of the families of crime victims and the wider community.
Members of the working group are: Aleksandar Baucal, full professor at the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade, Olga Manojlović Pintar, senior research associate at the Institute for Recent History of Serbia, Jasmina Nikolić, director of the Victimology Society of Serbia, Jasminka Petrović, writer for children and young people, Dubravka Stojanović, professor of Philosophy faculty in Belgrade and Bratislav Tošković, graduate engineer in architecture.
Was Vučić even in "Ribnikar"?
In order to pay tribute to the victims of the massacre, citizens stood in long lines for days after the tragedy to register in the Book of Mourning. At that time, the public and the opposition strongly condemned the fact that almost none of the representatives of the current government appeared at the scene of the tragedy.
MP Miroslav Aleksić then expressed in an interview for "Vreme" that he doubted that the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, was at all in the elementary school "Vladislav Ribnikar" after the tragedy, although he claimed so.
After that, some media published a photo that is supposed to be proof that Vučić really visited this elementary school. Members of the Serbian Progressive Party also showed those photos in the Serbian parliament, while the opposition claimed that the photos were photoshopped.
There was unrest, arguments and mutual name-calling in the parliamentary benches, and there was no clear conclusion about the authenticity of this photo, nor about when it was taken.
In the first address after the tragedy in "Ribnikar", Vučić said something about "children of privileged parents" who go to that school, which was met with outrage by part of the public.
He changed his intonation the next day, after the murders in Mali Orašje and Dubona.
Seven days later: Commemoration postponed, students in the pews
And while the leaders of the government avoided going to "Ribnikar" in the days after the tragedy, or did so away from the public eye, the Assembly of the City of Belgrade, i.e. Aleksandar Šapić, they wanted to organize a separate commemoration. Later, the "Vladislav Ribnikar" school announced that the commemoration was being postponed, and the reason given was that it was to respect the wishes of the parents of the victims.
Then the progressive government in front of the Old Palace, some 300 meters from "Ribnikar", organized its own place for delivering mail and lighting candles, which hardly anyone visited. Wreaths of officials and institutions were displayed there.
Return of students to school
Although the parents and friends of the victims were still not ready for the commemoration, this did not prevent the Ministry of Education from initiating the return of children to school.
That May 10, the students had to face returning to the place where the bloody feast took place. They returned to the school desks, following the recommendation of the Ministry and the engaged psychologists to "return to the routine".
They didn't have classes, but conversations with department heads and psychologists. On the first day, they stayed at school for 90 minutes each, the next day for an hour longer.
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