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Serbia Protesters Return to Violence as Vucic Holds Kosovo Talks

Serbia Protesters Return to Violence as Vucic Holds Kosovo Talks

Serbian police detained more than 70 protesters who tried to storm the parliament building in the capital Belgrade late Friday as anti-government demonstrations triggered earlier this week over a planned virus curfew lapsed into violence again.

Riot police used tear gas to repel the charge by a radical group following hours of a peaceful, sit-down rally by supporters of opposition parties. State broadcaster RTS also reported incidents between rival groups of protesters.

Serbia Protesters Return to Violence as Vucic Holds Kosovo Talks

President Aleksandar Vucic, who was in Paris as part of European Union-mediated efforts seeking to mend ties with Kosovo, denounced the most violent protests against his rule since he came to power six years ago. Health authorities called for restraint as the Balkan nation grappled with a surge in Covid-10 infections.

Chanting “we won’t give up Kosovo” and hurling rocks at the police, the hard-line protesters tried to force their way into the parliament but were pushed back early Saturday, RTS reported. Rallies without incidents were held in at least six other Serbian cities.

“They’ll be held responsible for all evil deeds they committed,” Vucic told Belgrade-based Pink television from Paris. “The state will prevail,” he said and called for observing the government ban on any gathering of more than 10 people, imposed after the biggest former Yugoslav republic on Friday had its highest daily death toll from the coronavirus since the pandemic began.

Vucic’s plan to reinstate a curfew to curb Covid-19 infections triggered the protests earlier this week, but the rallies continued even after he backtracked saying that milder lockdown measures would suffice. His ruling Progressive party won a landslide in June 21 general elections amid a boycott by mainstream opposition parties that accused him of autocracy, stifling media freedoms and preventing a level-playing field for campaigning.

Premier Ana Brnabic called for holding off any protests or other events until the pandemic subsides. Serbia’s hospitals are already overwhelmed by Covid-19 patients, she said. Almost 18,000 people in the nation of 7 million have become infected and 370 have died.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.