Vucic blames criminals, regional security services for Belgrade riot, no curfew

 He blamed the rightists, hooligans, criminals, opposition and “some (security) services from the region,” for the mass protest in Belgrade on Tuesday’s nightwhich started after he announced a new curfew over the next weekend due to the worsening situation with the coronavirus epidemic in the country.

“Last night it was not about the coronavirus, it was an unannounced rally, against the law,” Vucic said, adding that some people came “understandably frustrated by new stricter measures.”

 However, he called those he blamed for instigating the riot “a political vultures,” saying the protest was well organised, that “our security services failed to a certain extent,” and added he had information about the influence of foreign services.

Vucic said Serbia’s security services were still gathering information about it, and that he would contact some authorities in the region. He did not specify what countries he had in mind.

“I’ll ask some from the region who those people in Belgrade were and what were they doing last night.”

He also blamed the far-rightists and said he only heard they protested against “treason (of Kosovo), 5G network, saying the Earth is a flat plate.”

Vucic accused the protesters of aiming at weakening Serbia’s position ahead of crucial talks he would have in Paris and Brussels with Kosovo’s issue on the agenda.

“We won’t allow anyone at home or from abroad to jeopardise the safety of our country,” he said, adding it was the message to “all those who had fingers in what happened last night.”

Vucic justified police action, saying the police were patient as long as “their lives were endangered.”

He said those who were violent would be punished “without mercy.”