[syndicate] \\ smart bombz -> rolling stonez ____... progress = inevitabl

[0f0003 | maschinenkunst]

'Horse risk' to Stones Serbia gig

Proposals at Belgrade's horse racing track to sedate 300 horses during a
rock concert have been attacked by Serbian animal rights activists.

The Rolling Stones are due to play in front of 100,000 people at the
Belgrade Hippodrome in July.

Staff at the Hippodrome say they may need to sedate the horses that live in
stables near the stage to stop them from panicking.

The plans are being opposed by Serbia's largest animal protection group, Orca.

"Horses differ, just like people," explained Jovanka Prelic, who helps
looking after the horses at the hippodrome.

"Some are nervous and more skittish. If they start to panic they'll get
sedatives," she said.

New venue call

Orca head Elvir Burazerovic said that "noise and vibrations are the
strongest causes of stress to animals".

Horse. File photo
Animal rights activists demand a different concert venue

But he said sedating the horses was not the answer. He is also against the
animals being moved, saying this adds to the stress.

Instead, Mr Burazerovic wants another suitable venue for the concert to be
found in Belgrade.

"Surely our big city has enough open spaces where even 150,000 people can
fit in," he says.

"We think the Hippodrome should be left to horses."

The sedative that will be used for the horses is called Bensedin in Serbia.

It was a popular prescription during the Nato air strikes in 1999, when
many of Belgrade's citizens were on tranquillisers.

The Rolling Stones have never played in Serbia. They had to cancel a
concert in 2003 following the assassination of the then Prime Minister,
Zoran Djindjic.

They also cancelled last year when guitarist Keith Richards suffered a head
injury.