Thousands of protesters rallied on January 25 in Montenegro’s capital Podgorica, demanding the resignations of Deputy Prime Minister in charge of security Aleksa Becic and Minister of Interior Danilo Saranovic, and threatening civil disobedience.

The protest followed a shooting in the city of Cetinje that took the lives of 12 people on January 1. This was the third protest organised by the informal group of students called Kamo Sutra? (Where Tomorrow?) since the shooting.

45-year-old Aco Martinovic began his assault by killing a bar owner, the owner’s children and members of his own family. Subsequently he was cornered by police and died after shooting himself in the head.

On January 25, protest organisers gave Prime Minister Milojko Spajic a deadline until February 1 to meet their demands, threatening that otherwise they will start civil disobedience.

Apart from the resignations, protesters also demand the demilitarisation of society, and the confiscation and destruction of all illegal and hidden weapons. Among the requests is also that the authorities stop issuing weapons permits to citizens.

The group posted its five main requests on its Facebook page, which were subsequently backed by teachers and citizens.

The protests in Montenegro come amid an escalation of the situation in neighbouring Serbia, where students initiated mass rallies against President Aleksandar Vucic, which subsequently turned into a national strike.