Serbians don masks and take to smog-filled streets to demand cleaner air

People attend a protest demanding government action to tackle severe air pollution in Belgrade, Serbia, January 17, 2020. REUTERS/Marko Djurica

BELGRADE (Reuters) - Hundreds of protesters, some wearing surgical masks and respirators, took to the streets of the Serbian capital Belgrade on Friday, demanding the government tackle severe air pollution throughout the European Union candidate country.

Belgrade and several other Serbian towns, along with the capitals of neighbouring Bosnia, Kosovo and North Macedonia, have been choked by dense smog for days, topping lists of the world's most polluted cities ahead of Delhi, Calcutta, Lahore and Beijing.