Frustration has been building over the government's rollercoaster response to the coronavirus outbreak AFP/ANDREJ ISAKOVICBELGRADE: For many Serbs, it was the last straw: when the president announced the resumption of a weekend curfew to fight the coronavirus pandemic, thousands took to the streets in anger.
Serbia has reported some 370 fatalities but many accuse authorities of fudging the figures, which the government denies. "The pressure cooker is now exploding", said Bonn-based Serbian journalist Nemanja Rujevic, adding that the"unhinged" management of the health crisis compounded long-running frustration over Vucic's authoritarian rule.The demonstrations have not been led by any particular party, with groups spanning from the left to the far-right.
Most nights start out peacefully before bands of protesters begin hurling stones, flares and firecrackers at police officers. This has been accompanied by sweeping control over the media with many television channels and tabloids serving as propaganda outlets, according to US-based Freedom House, which no longer considers Serbia a democracy."Previous protests in Serbia have shown that the government can tolerate several months of peaceful demonstrations by several thousand people - as long as it controls the media narrative," said Rujevic.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »
Source: TODAYonline - 🏆 1. / 99 Read more »
Source: BusinessTimes - 🏆 15. / 51 Read more »
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »