Belgrade drops curfew plan after ugly clashes at protests
SERBIA banned gatherings of more than 10 people in Belgrade yesterday after two nights of violent clashes between police and demonstrators.
The protests were provoked by plans for a tough lockdown in the capital to counter a surge in coronavirus.
While first driven by anger over the economically stifling measures, they evolved quickly into anti-government rallies at which participants demanded the resignation of Aleksander Vucic, the authoritarian president.
Dozens of people were reported injured as police fired tear gas and threw stun grenades. Videos on social media appeared to show officers beating up some demonstrators.
Belgrade residents said police tactics were much more heavy-handed than previously, and Amnesty International criticised “the disproportionate use of force’”.
Demonstrations spread on Wednesday to Novi Sad and Nis, the second and third largest cities in the country.
Ana Brnabic, the prime minister, said the restriction on gatherings was intended to prevent the virus’s further spread following the clashes, where social distancing was barely observed and only a minority wore masks.
However, the plans for a Friday night to Monday morning curfew, which provoked the anger of the protesters, have been dropped for now.
Ms Brnabic said: “The lockdown would have been the most efficient measure, but we decided to take this interim step instead.”
Serbia, with a population of seven million, has so far reported 341 deaths.
The number of new infections rose to a record 357 on Wednesday.