Over 10,000 Participate in Anti-NATO Rally in Serbia - Organizer (VIDEO)

BELGRADE (Sputnik) — On February 19, Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic signed a confirmation of the country’s cooperation plan with NATO. Serbian lawmakers ratified an agreement giving the alliance freedom of movement across Serbia and granting its members diplomatic immunity. The moves caused a series of protests across the country.

Representatives of several opposition movements, including the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), the political Dveri and Zavetnici movements called for a referendum on Serbia's accession to NATO.

"Our main message was "Not in NATO" and the demand to hold a nationwide referendum on Serbia's cooperation with the North Atlantic Alliance on April 24, on the day of snap parliamentary elections. We passed a request for a referendum to the Serbian government on the anniversary of the start of [NATO] bombing on March 24," the leader of Dveri party, Bosko Obradovic told RIA Novosti.

According to Obradovic, Belgrade should hold a referendum on NATO membership as most citizens oppose the membership of the alliance.

At the same time, Serbia has also been an observer state of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) since April 2013. In 2007, Serbian lawmakers adopted a resolution upholding the republic’s neutral status toward military alliances.