Serbian authorities have announced that around 13,500 weapons have been handed over by citizens since the recent mass shootings, as part of a one-month amnesty

period for the surrender of unregistered weapons or face prison sentences.

The weapons displayed included hand grenades, automatic weapons, and anti-tank rocket launchers. According to President Aleksandar Vučić, approximately half of the weapons collected were illegal, while the other half were registered weapons voluntarily handed over by citizens.

Vučić said the weapons will go to Serbia's arms and ammunitions factories for potential use by the armed forces. After the amnesty period, the state will respond with repressive measures and punishments will be very strict. The crackdown on guns followed two mass shootings this month that left 17 people dead, many of them children.

Opposition politicians have accused the populist government of fueling violence and hate speech against critics, imposing autocratic rule, and stoking divisions in society. Tens of thousands of people have rallied in two protest marches in Belgrade since the shootings, demanding resignations of government ministers and a ban on television stations that promote violent content and host war criminals and crime figures. Photo by St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office, Wikimedia commons.