Animal rights activist protest Stones gig

Animal rights activist protest Stones gig

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 Prelić, 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.

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

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

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