- Title: Belgrade cleans up after riots over new lockdown
- Date: 8th July 2020
- Summary: BELGRADE, SERBIA (JULY 8, 2020) (REUTERS) BURNED OUT POLICE VAN VARIOUS OF TWO BURNED OUT CARS LUMP OF CONCRETE IN SMASHED CAR WINDOW BURNED OUT VEHICLES TRAFFIC LIGHT BY SERBIAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY BUILDING MOON RIOT POLICE STANDING NEAR ASSEMBLY BUILDING POLICE SIGN IN WINDOW OF BURNED OUT POLICE VAN VARIOUS OF CLEANERS SWEEPING STEPS IN FRONT OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY BUILDING STREET SWEEPING VEHICLES CLEANING ROAD (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) BELGRADE RESIDENT, ZORAN MILAKIN, SAYING: "I don't know what to say - it is the normal disatisfaction of people. I think it is totally normal after everything that has been happening, that people don't have patience any more and that they do not want to be closed in their homes and as for the demolition of Belgrade - definitely not, anything that is extreme, I am positive that none of us who are from Belgrade can support that." (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) BELGRADE RESIDENT, ALEKSA (SURNAME NOT GIVEN), SAYING: "I think it was the curfew that was crucial, because people don't like to be closed (in their homes) as we could see during the past months." (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) BELGRADE RESIDENT, SLAVICA POPOVIC, SAYING: "I was not surprised by these events considering the huge frustration on both sides. We've been caught in this situation, but this situation is not only here. However, this is the Balkans, we all know how it is here." TRACTOR CARRYING AWAY BROKEN TREE BRANCHES/ POLICE SQUAD CARS PASSING DAMAGED TRAFFIC SIGN POLICE CARS PARKED BY NATIONAL ASSEMBLY BUILDING CLEANERS USING LEAFBLOWERS TO SWEEP UP RUBBISH TRAFFIC PASSING DAMAGED TRAFFIC SIGN
- Embargoed: 22nd July 2020 10:20
- Keywords: Belgrade Serbia aftermath coronavirus lockdown parliament protests
- Location: BELGRADE, SERBIA
- City: BELGRADE, SERBIA
- Country: Serbia
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001CLY8WG7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:A clean-up started outside Serbia's parliament in Belgrade on Wednesday (July 8) after an angry crowd stormed the building overnight after plans to reimpose a lockdown following a surge in coronavirus cases was announced.
The wrecks of burned cars and damaged traffic signs remained as evidence of the rioting. Police said 43 police and 17 protesters were injured and 23 protesters had been arrested.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced the new lockdown on Tuesday (July 7). It is due to run over the coming weekend and will cover Belgrade and possibly also other areas.
The government's critics say its decisions to allow soccer matches, religious festivities, parties, and private gatherings to resume, and parliamentary elections to go ahead on June 21, are to blame for the spike in infections.
Serbia, a country of 7 million, has reported 16,168 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 330 deaths, and health authorities say hospitals are running at full capacity and staff are exhausted.
People in central Belgrade said they were not surprised at the protests, saying people were tired of being shut up in their homes.
(Production: Branko Filipovic, Fedja Grulovic, Malgorzata Wojtunik, Lewis Macdonald) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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