Serbians demand better protection of environment

Thousands of people rallied in Serbian capital Belgrade on Saturday to demand better protection of environment.

Serbia has seen record levels of air pollution and a number of or ecological problems following decades of neglect.

protest outside parliament building was dubbed an "ecological uprising" against what organisers say is widespread environmental devastation.

Serbia, which aspires to join European Union, has faced mounting problems that include poor garb manment, air and river pollution, and a lack of systematic regulation of waste water in cities, including Belgrade.

Protesters carried banners reading "Cut corruption and crime, t forests!" and "Plant a tree!," referring to shrinking green areas in cities, particularly in capital, where huge concrete residential areas have sprung up in recent years.

Hours before start of rally, Serbian ministry of environment said in a statement that Serbia's many problems were t new and ted that government had launched various projects aimed at finding long-term solutions.

Serbia and or countries in Balkans must substantially improve ir environmental situation if y want to move forward in ir bid to join European Union, analysts say.