Anti-pollution gatherings across Serbia, dozens of protesters in Belgrade

Dozens of Belgraders gathered on Wednesday night to protest against air pollution under the slogan ‘For Clean Air,’ N1 reported.

The protests were held in 20 other towns and cities across Serbia, organised by the Don’t Drown Belgarde Initiative and Civil Front.

The rally in Belgrade started with the observing of the minute of silence for the death of Serbia’s famous journalist and editor Dragoljub Zarkovic.

The Initiative said that 15,000 people signed the petition demanding measure against air pollution.

Radomir Lazovic from the Initiative said he had the impression that the Government understood that pollution was a significant problem, but only within its PR.

The protesters demanded that Belgrade official “wake up” and do something to solve the pollution problem.

The first of the For Clean Air protest was held in Kraljevo where Local Front activists gathered at noon carrying banners calling for cleaner air. A spokesman said that the town was the fifth most polluted in the country. “We wanted to organize a civic protest to express our dissatisfaction,” the spokesman said.  

Activists also gathered in the city of Kragujevac to demand improvements in environmental conditions.

Nenad Bozic MP told the gathering that a group of activists had installed air quality measuring equipment in five places and were informing the population about air quality via social networks.

He said that the city had just 10 days of clean air in December and January. Bozic said the protest was aimed at forcing the city authorities and Serbian government to take regular measurements. No one from local environmental protection agencies attended the gathering.  

Activists in the southern city of Nis decided not to organize a protest but handed out flyers instead, informing the population about pollution problems.