Rally in Serbia draws attention to country’s air pollution

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Hundreds of people have rallied in Serbia to draw attention to the country’s high air pollution and demand that authorities take action to improve air quality. The protest on Sunday in central Belgrade was the latest in a series of gatherings organized by the increasingly visible environmental movement in the Balkan country. Serbia — like much of the Balkans — is facing a series of environmental problems following decades of neglect. The problems include poor waste management, low air quality and polluted rivers. Organizers of Sunday’s event demanded that the populist government tell the public about air quality on national TV. They said bad air kills thousands of people every year in Serbia.