Serbia: Protesters storm parliament in Belgrade July 7

Event

On Tuesday, July 7, a group of protesters stormed the Serbian parliament building in Belgrade. The opposition supporters were demonstrating over stricter measures being brought in to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Following an announcement on Tuesday by President Aleksandar Vucic regarding a further tightening of restrictions, including a weekend lockdown of the capital, people gathered in the square in front of the parliament building to denounce the government's handling of the situation. At around 22:00 (local time) a small group of demonstrators breached the cordon put in place by security forces around the building, before they were pushed back again by police.

Further protests and associated disruption is expected over the near term.

Context

Serbia imposed a lockdown between March and May due to COVID-19. However, following a recent rise in infections President Vucic's government has begun to reintroduce a number of restrictions.

Advice

Individuals in Belgrade are advised to monitor developments to the situation, avoid all demonstrations as a precaution, anticipate transportation disruptions in the vicinity of demonstrations, and adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities.