Thousands of people have rallied in Croatia demanding government action against domestic violence after a man threw his four small children from a balcony, seriously injuring them.

The attack last month on the Adriatic Sea island of Pag has sent shock waves through the Balkan nation, inspiring a #spasime (save me) movement on social networks.

The protesters gathered Saturday in Zagreb, the capital, and other Croatian cities. They carried banners reading "Zero Tolerance" or "No to violence."

Croatian media say Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic came to Saturday's rally, demanding tougher measures against perpetrators of domestic violence and more prevention.

The children in Pag, ranged in age from 3 to 8 and were tossed by their father from a height of 6 meters (20 feet).