On July 7, Serbian police in Belgrade used tear gas against thousands of citizens protesting the country reinstating the state of emergency due to the rapid spread of coronavirus.
Protesters were denouncing the government’s management of the coronavirus. Citizens were placed under lockdown for two months and then the country was reopened prior to the elections on June 21. After restrictions and curfews were lifted, the government imposed nearly no in between preventative measures, and sports events with thousands of people were held.
Initially, the crowd and the police came to blows when the former stormed the parliament. The police then threw tear gas canisters to disperse the crowd.
Protesters, on their end, lit flares, threw stones at the police, and called for the resignation of President Aleksandar Vucic.
Vucic announced the reinstatement of the state of emergency on Tuesday evening, after 13 people succumbed to coronavirus in 24 hours.
However, critics claim that the increased coronavirus infected cases the country is witnessing came as a result of Vucic prematurely lifting preventative measures before the June 21 parliamentary elections.
