Thousands of people who gathered in Belgrade for an environmental protest on Sunday urged Serbia’s Government to change its attitude towards environmental problems and start applying the law against the biggest polluters.

The protest was organised by the „Eco Guard“ (Eko straza) association over air pollution in the country.

Protesters gathered at the Terazije Fountain and walked to the Assembly and the Presidency of Serbia. They announced new protests in two weeks.

This is the third such protest organized by this organization. The previous one took place in September.

Protesters carried banners saying: „Come out and fight“, „Breathe carefully“, „The air is dangerous“ etc.

Their main demands are for the Environmental Protection Agency to return the upper limit of the air quality index category for PM particles to previously valid values – from 55 to 44 micrograms per cubic meter. They also demand that the purchased device for air purification be redirected from state and local institutions to kindergartens, schools and hospitals, as well as that the sale of inadequate energy sources for household fireplaces be banned.

After yesterday’s blockade of roads throughout Serbia, two protests are being held in Belgrade today – the first on Terazije, and the second at 6 pm on the Republic Square in Belgrade, entitled „Stop regime violence“. The protest on Republic Square will be a response to the violence, attacks and arrests of activists who protested across Serbia on Saturday.

Two large protests are taking place in Serbia on Sunday, only a day after the mass protests across the country over recently adopted laws on referendum and expropriation of property.

Citizens are expected to gather in the evening hours to protest against “violence by the regime” and the detention of activists the day before.