Hundreds of Novak Djokovic’s supporters gathered at a rally in downtown Belgrade on Friday to protest his confinement in Australia after his entry was denied by border authorities due to COVID-19 vaccination rules.
The top-ranked Serb, who hopes to defend his title on the Australian Open and win a males’s document twenty first Grand Slam singles title, was denied entry when he arrived at Melbourne’s airport on Wednesday and was nonetheless in an immigration detention resort awaiting a courtroom listening to scheduled for Monday to problem his deportation.
The detention has triggered anger amongst Djokovic’s followers in his native Serbia, along with his household calling for protests till he’s launched.
Speaking on the rally, Srdjan Djokovic described his son’s battle to play on the Australian Open as a combat in opposition to “globalists who want to ruin everything.”
Happening Now: A protest in Belgrade, Serbia, in help of letting unvaccinated Novak Djokovic play within the Australian Open. pic.twitter.com/qGrrlRZFkE
— The Recount (@therecount) January 7, 2022
“He is fighting for himself, his people and all freedom-loving nations in the world,” mentioned Srdjan Djokovic, an outspoken critic of the West and supporter of Serbia’s conventional Slavic ally Russia. “They hate him because Australian politicians have put pressure on people to hate him because he thinks with his own brain.”
Djokovic’s father additionally mentioned Australians “have been in captivity for two years” in reference to the strict lockdown coronavirus measures which have been in place in Melbourne.
Novak Djokovic’s dad:
“This isn’t a battle for Serbia and Novak. This is a battle for 7 billion people.They want to subdue us, they want us all on our knees. It won’t fly.”
pic.twitter.com/v1qolTy3tb
— 🇺🇸 Pismo 🇺🇸 (@Pismo_B) January 7, 2022
Serbia’s Prime Minister has instructed Sky News that Novak Djokovic is a sufferer of ‘political persecution’ after Australia cancelled his visa utility.
Latest on the Serbian world primary: https://t.co/rQp4DgjOqs pic.twitter.com/el0ePtsqTU
— Sky News (@SkyNews) January 6, 2022
“He (Djokovic) is in prison, not in custody, not in a hotel. They took away all his things, took away his wallet, and returned it to him after a few hours,” Srdjan Djokovic mentioned as the group chanted “Monsters, Monsters.”
He mentioned the Australian authorities “wanted to humiliate and throw him to his knees.”
Australian officers initially mentioned Djokovic, a vocal skeptic of vaccines who has refused to say if he has gotten the COVID-19 shot, could be given an exemption to stringent vaccine guidelines by state authorities and be capable of take part within the Australian Open. But when he landed, his visa was canceled by federal border officers and he’s now in an immigration detention resort whereas he fights the choice.
