Serbia: Protesters rally against government-backed Belgrade Waterfront project

More than 1000 people rallied against the government-backed Belgrade Waterfront redevelopment project in Belgrade, Sunday. Protesters took to the streets holding red cards and clutching rubber ducks, the symbol of the anti-Belgrade waterfront movement, to denounce the controversial project which involves developing the banks of the Sava river into a luxury district with residential and office buildings, the largest shopping mall in the Balkans, a hotel, an opera house and skyscraper. The protest was organised by several civic organisations, including the 'Do not drown Belgrade' initiative. Later on Sunday Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic is set to lay the foundation stone of the project together with the president of Eagle Hills, the Abu Dhabi-based property firm developing the site. The project is expected to cost around €3.5 billion ($3.9 billion).