Tens of thousands of Serbians protested on Friday demanding better security, a ban on violent TV content and the resignation of key ministers following two mass shootings in which 17 people died.

Iran PressEurope: In the second such demonstration in less than a week, throngs of people blocked a key avenue and highway junction in the capital Belgrade and a bridge over the Sava river, marching behind a black banner which read "Serbia Against Violence."

In the country's first mass shool shooting, a 13-year-old boy killed eight pupils and a security guard on May 4, wounding six other pupils and a teacher.

Just a day later, a 21-year-old man killed eight and wounded 14 others with an assault rifle. Both shooters surrendered to the police.

The protesters - mainly opposition supporters - want pro-government TV stations and tabloids, which they accuse of promoting violent and vulgar content, shut down.

Opposition parties and rights watchdogs accuse President Aleksandar Vucic and his ruling populist Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) of autocracy, oppressing the media, violence against political opponents, corruption and ties with organised crime.

Vucic and his allies deny the accusations.

Demonstrators also called for the resignations of Interior Minister Bratislav Gasic and state security agency director Aleksandar Vulin, as well as the dismissal of the government's Regulatory Committee for Electronic Media (REM).

Similar rallies were held in other Serbian cities.

In response to the shootings, Serbia's police on Monday launched a one-month amnesty for surrendering illegal weapons.

Vucic said around 10,000 weapons, including hand-held disposable anti-tank launchers, explosive ordnance and tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition had already been handed over.

Mass shootings are rare in Serbia.

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