Demonstrators storm the Serbian parliament after declaration of the lockdown

Demonstrators stormed the Serbian Parliament after the President announced that a lockdown would be re-established this weekend.

Thousands have gathered in Belgrade to protest against the announcement by President Aleksandar Vucic, despite the Balkan country recording the highest death toll from coronavirus in one day.


The president called the virus situation in the Serbian capital "alarming" and "critical" as the city's hospitals neared capacity.
Mr Vucic said the government would reimpose a curfew as of Friday.

He said it will "probably" last from 6pm on Friday until 5am on Monday.

He also said the groups of no more than five people would be allowed together.
The country's Health Ministry said on Tuesday that 13 people had died in 24 hours in Serbia and 299 new cases were confirmed.
That brought the total to 16,719 confirmed cases and 330 virus-related deaths since the start of the pandemic in Serbia, which went from having one of Europe's strictest lockdowns to a near-complete reopening at the beginning of May.
Football and tennis matches were played in packed stands and a parliamentary election was held on June 21 despite warnings from experts that the mass gatherings without social distancing could lead to a new coronavirus wave.
"We have probably relaxed too much.

"Everyone thought it was all over," Mr Vucic said, angrily rejecting widespread criticism that his insisting on holding the election led to the lifting of the earlier lockdown and the recent coronavirus case spike.