This archive report was first published on 11 July 2020.
Belgrade, Serbia - July 10, 2020
Protests in Serbia have entered their fourth day, with demonstrators throwing firecrackers and chanting nationalist slogans, according to AFP journalists.
The protests come as the Balkan nation announced a record daily death toll from COVID-19, with 18 fatalities and 386 new cases reported over 24 hours.
Prime Minister Ana Brnabic described the increase as 'dramatic' and called on people to respect measures to restrict the spread of the virus.
However, Brnabic also condemned the protests as 'irresponsible', saying 'with regard to the demonstrations, there is no more irresponsible behaviour right now.'
President Aleksandar Vucic took a stronger stance, labeling the actions of demonstrators who blocked the main road into Novi Sad as 'pure terrorism'.
He also blamed the protesters for the country's COVID-19 situation, saying 'we are in this situation because of the irresponsibility of those who are calling for people to be on the streets.'
As the protests continue, Serbia has logged 370 coronavirus deaths and almost 18,000 cases, with neighboring countries also posting record numbers of new virus cases.
