It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Friday, July 10, 2020
UPDATED Fourth day of virus protests in Serbia as virus cases spike Issued on: 11/07/2020
Some demonstrators also threw firecrackers and chanted nationalist slogans, according to AFP journalists ANDREJ ISAKOVIC AFPBelgrade (AFP) VIDEOS AT THE END
Thousands protested for a fourth day Friday across Serbia over the government's handling of the coronavirus pandemic as officials condemned the demonstrations and announced a record jump in cases.
Some demonstrators threw firecrackers and chanted nationalist slogans, according to AFP journalists.
The protests were held as the Balkan nation announced a record daily death toll from COVID-19.
Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said earlier Friday the Balkan state recorded 18 fatalities and 386 new cases over 24 hours in what she described as a "dramatic increase".
At the same time, Brnabic condemned as "irresponsible" protests held in Belgrade and other cities on Thursday, after demonstrations in the capital on the previous two days had spilled over into violence.
"With regard to the demonstrations, there is no more irresponsible behaviour right now," said Brnabic.
"We shall see the results of the protests in three to four days," she said and called on people to respect measures to restrict the spread of the virus.
President Aleksandar Vucic condemned the actions of demonstrators who had blocked the main road into the second-largest city of Novi Sad as "pure terrorism", speaking on national TV.
Vucic added, "we are in this situation because of the irresponsibility of those who are calling for people to be on the streets".
"I am begging people not to protest because they will end up seeking medical help," he said, adding the demonstrations were unlawful.
Protesters have given vent to their frustration with Vucic, who is seen by many as having facilitated a virus second wave by lifting an initial lockdown so that elections could be held on June 21 and which his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) largely won.
The first demonstration on Tuesday was triggered after Vucic announced the return of a weekend curfew to combat a second wave of coronavirus infections that has overwhelmed hospitals in Belgrade.
The president later backtracked on his plan, but the protests continued, turning into a general rebuke of his handling of the health crisis.
On Thursday, the government formally dropped the curfew plan and announced restrictions on public gatherings of more than 10 people -- effectively barring protests.
A wave of new infections came after a number of sporting events were allowed to go ahead amid minimal social distancing.
These included a tennis tournament organised by multiple grand slam champion Novak Djokovic, who tested positive for coronavirus along with three other participants at his ill-fated Adria Tour.
Several senior politicians also tested positive in the wake of SNS celebrations of its election triumph.
To date, Serbia has logged 370 coronavirus deaths and almost 18,000 cases.
Neighbouring Croatia and Bosnia likewise posted 24-hour records for new virus cases Friday -- 116 and 316 respectively.
Virus Unrest Turns Violent As Serbs Protest Being "Lied To For Political Ends"
Social unrest has rocked Belgrade and other cities in Serbia this week in response to President Aleksandar Vucic's reintroduction of government-curfews over surging coronavirus cases.
Serbian police fired tear gas and were dressed head to toe in riot gear, as demonstrators, mostly young people, assaulted police on Tuesday and Wednesday. The New York Times said the unrest was some of the first in Europe since the pandemic began - also indicating the severity of the unrest was worst since the rule of Slobodan Milosevic in the 1990s.
Young Serbs quickly took the streets on Tuesday after Vucic announced Belgrade would be placed under a new order restricting movement in the region for three days to mitigate the spread of the second coronavirus wave. Many were infuriated by the re-implementation of the lockdown after coming out of some of the strictest ones in Europe to allow the general election last week.
"We don't mind staying home for another three days — that wasn't the problem," said Dragana Grncarski, 45, who has been protesting this week.
"However, they're playing with our minds and with the truth," Grncarski added. "When it suits them to do elections, there is no corona. They organized football matches and tennis matches, and because of that we have a situation where the hospitals are full."
"Citizens have been constantly deceived and lied to for political ends," said Tena Prelec, a political expert on Southeast Europe at the University of Oxford.
BREAKING - All hell breaking loose in Serbia's Belgrade amid protests over the government's handling of #COVID19 for the second day.pic.twitter.com/3JnxJG3BiJ
Jelena Vasiljevic, an expert on Balkan unrest at the University of Belgrade, said the expiration of the lockdowns for election purposes - then re-implementation of the lockdowns took the population "from one extreme to another."
Vasiljevic said the "excessive use of force" by the government to combat rioters hasn't been seen since the days of "Milosevic in 1996 or 1997." Milosevic led Serbia through the Balkan Wars and was later charged for war crimes.
Demonstrators stormed the Serbian parliament building in Belgrade after President Aleksandar Vucic announced stricter measures, including the lockdown of the capital, over the weekend to halt the spread of the coronavirus https://t.co/dFlIVgyOkGpic.twitter.com/3E24L77ftv
Serbian Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin was convinced the demonstration against the re-implementation of the lockdowns in Belgrade and other cities were "carefully planned" - and aimed at igniting a civil war.
"We have terrible violence on the streets, we have an attempt at a coup, we have an attempt to seize power by force and an attempt to provoke a civil war in Serbia. It cannot be described and explained differently. There is no reason, there is no reason to set fire to the Assembly, to set fire to the City Hall in Novi Sad, to attack the police, to beat people on the streets, to endanger life and to endanger the property of Serbian citizens ," said Vulin, a guest on the show Novo jutro on TV Pink, was asked to comment on the events in the previous two evenings.
"There were indications of foreign involvement, and some criminal faces were there, too," Vucic said on Wednesday afternoon. He added that virus cases will likely flare-up because of the mass unrest.
"I wonder who will be responsible for the fact that hundreds and thousands of people became infected yesterday and the day before yesterday," he said
Vucic has also backtracked on the curfew after several days of unrest - instead, the government is expected to impose restrictions on public spaces and possibly limit business hours. There's also talk of fining people for not wearing masks.
When it comes to outside forces meddling in Serb domestic affairs, Russia came out on Thursday, denying it had any involvement.
Russian Times caught some of the unrest on video earlier this week. Young Serbs can be seen clashing with riot police in front of government buildings
July 8 Belgrade riot chaos. h/t Reuters
July 8 Belgrade riot chaos. h/t Reuters
No comments:
Post a Comment