85 people injured in Serb protests – Serbs mass in huge rally for Kosovo – Belgrade’s US Embassy Set on Fire –
85 people injured in Serb protests against Kosovo independence
21 Feb 2008 – Spasena Baramova
At least 51 police officers and 34 civilians have been injured in Serb protests that have followed the proclamation of Kosovo’s independence over the past 2 days, the Serbian interior ministry said, as quoted by Bulgarian news agency BTA and Dnevnik daily on February 20.
The Serbian interior ministry called upon all citizens to express their discontent with Kosovo’s self-proclaimed independence “in a peaceful and dignified manner”, sending a special appeal to sports clubs and their fans, notorious for their violent outbursts, to cooperate with the police in keeping order and protecting private property.
The Serb demonstrations damaged several buildings, including the diplomatic and consular representations of the USA, Canada, Slovenia, Turkey and Iran, but also 10 McDonald’s restaurants, 52 shops and four party headquarters. Dozens of cars have also been vandalised, Dnevnik daily reported.
Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica and President Boris Tadić have both called for an end to street violence, which they say is detrimental to the country, Serbian radio station B92 reported.
http://sofiaecho.com/article/85-people-injured-in-serb-protests-against-kosovo-independence/id_27668/catid_66
Serbs mass in huge rally for Kosovo
Thu, 21 Feb 2008
Belgrade – A massive crowd gathered in Belgrade Thursday as Serbs rallied against independence of Kosovo and behind their leaders’ hard confrontation with the West supportive of the breakaway province. More than 200,000 people packed the large plateau, eight-lane boulevard and a park in front of the national assembly even before the rally started, with columns of people still converging.
It was by far the largest gathering since the October 2000 protest which toppled the late strongman leader Slobodan Milosevic.
The “Kosovo is Serbia” rally was called to back Serbia’s claim of property on Kosovo, in which the majority Albanian leaders declared independence on Sunday with the blessing of Western powers.
Serbia’s largest parties – the ruling Democratic Party (DS) and Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) of President Boris Tadic and Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, and the ultra-nationalist Serbian Radical Party (SRS) in opposition – called the protest.
“Kosovo belongs to Serbia. Kosovo belongs to Serbian people. It was so since ever and it will be so forever,” the normally reserved Kostunica virtually screamed into the microphone.
“No force, no threats or promises can change that,” he said. Kostunica had frozen Serbia’s approach to EU membership in protest at Western support of Kosovo, branding the presumed exchange of Kosovo for membership of EU an “indecent proposal.”
The SRS leader Nikolic, a former high-ranking member of Milosevic’s regime was appointed to speak on behalf of all parliamentary parties. Tadic was absent, on a visit to Romania.
Tennis star Novak Djokovic was expected to address the rally over a phone. The two-times Cannes laureate film director Emir Kusturica and retired basketball star Dejan Bodiroga were to speak from the stage along with politicians, scholars and communal leaders.
Serbian authorities organized and financed free transport by busses and trains from throughout Serbia for people wanting to take part. Factories were closed and schools dismissed for the day and cheerful high-school students made up a major part of the crowd.
Following riots of hooligans targeting Western embassies and businesses in the wake of Kosovo’s declaration of independence on Sunday, authorities appealed for a “dignified” rally and warned that police would move swiftly against anybody causing disorder.
Leaflets calling for the boycott of products and businesses from countries that have recognized Kosovo – which would in the end be most of the West – were handed out to the crowd.
After the speeches, the crowd was to march two kilometres to the St. Sava temple to take part in a public prayer for Serbs remaining in Kosovo, dominated by a 90-per-cent Albanian majority.
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/187365,serbs-mass-in-huge-rally-for-kosovo–update.html
Ethnic Albanian Vehicles Attacked In Croatia – AFP
ZAGREB, Croatia (AFP)–Vans belonging to two ethnic Albanians were destroyed by blasts in Croatia overnight, in attacks linked to Kosovo’s independence, HINA news agency said Thursday.
“Two vehicles were destroyed in the blasts by unknown explosive devices and the investigation is ongoing,” HINA quoted investigative judge Svetislav Vujic as saying.
Nobody was injured in the attacks, which occurred a minute apart in front of a bakery and a house in the coastal town of Pula owned by two ethnic Albanians of Croatian and Macedonian nationality.
The brother of one of them said their family had received a threatening mobile telephone text message on Thursday.
“Bow your head down because the same thing that happened to your relative in Pula could happen to you too. Kosovo is forever the heart of Serbia,” said the message Muhamed Senaj showed to national television.
An association grouping Albanian minority in Croatia condemned the attack and said it was triggered by the proclamation of independence by Kosovo, according to HINA.
“We condemn such terrorist acts and hope that it was an isolated case,” said Idriz Sulejmani, head of the Albanian Minority Council.
According to the 2001 census, Serbs are the biggest minority in Croatia accounting to 4.5% of its population of 4.4 million. There are 15,000 Albanians living in Croatia.
Belgrade’s US Embassy Set on Fire
By SLOBODAN LEKIC
Associated Press Writer
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serb rioters broke into the U.S. Embassy Thursday and set fire to an office after a large protest against Kosovo’s independence that drew an estimated 150,000 people.
Masked attackers broke into the building, which has been closed this week, and tried to throw furniture from an office. A blaze broke out but firefighters swiftly put out the flames.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) – Serb rioters broke into the U.S. Embassy Thursday and set fire to an office after a massive protest against Kosovo’s independence that drew an estimated 150,000 people.
Masked attackers broke into the building, which has been closed this week, and tried to throw furniture from an office. A blaze broke out inside one of the offices and parts of the facade also caught fire.
Authorities drove armored jeeps down the street and fired tear gas to clear the crowd. The protesters dispersed into side streets where they continued clashing with authorities.
The neighboring Croatian Embassy also was attacked by the same group of protesters.
In Washington, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack strongly urged the Serbian government to protect the U.S. Embassy. He said the U.S. ambassador was at his home and was in contact with U.S. officials.
More than a dozen nations have recognized Kosovo’s declaration of independence on Sunday, including the United States, Britain, France and Germany.
But the declaration by Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian leadership has been rejected by Serbia’s government and the ethnic Serbians who populate northern Kosovo. Russia, China and numerous other nations have also condemned the declaration, saying it sets a precedent that separatist groups around the world will seek to emulate.
Kosovo, which is 90 percent ethnic Albanian, has not been under Belgrade’s control since 1999, when NATO launched airstrikes to halt a Serbian crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists. A U.N. mission has governed Kosovo since, with more than 16,000 NATO troops and KFOR, a multiethnic force, policing the province.
But Serbia – and Kosovo’s Serbs, who make up less than 10 percent of Kosovo’s population – refuse to give up Kosovo, a territory considered the ancient cradle of Serbs’ state and religion.
Earlier Thursday, police estimated that about 150,000 people had attended a rally in the Serbian capital. The crowd waved Serbian flags and carried signs reading “Stop USA terror.” One group set fire to a red-and-black Albanian flag.
US embassy in Belgrade attacked
Police were not guarding the embassy at the time
Several hundred protesters have attacked and broken into the US embassy in the Serbian capital Belgrade, setting fire to part of it.
The embassy was closed and unprotected at the time. Reports say the Croatian embassy was also attacked.
The incidents came as at least 150,000 people rallied in protest at Kosovo’s declaration of independence.
Protesters with flags and flares filled the main square. PM Vojislav Kostunica said Kosovo would always be Serbian.
Earlier, on Serbia’s de facto border with Kosovo, Serb army reservists attacked Kosovan police with stones and set fire to tyres.
Most Serbs consider Kosovo their religious and cultural heartland.
Prayers
US state department spokesman Sean McCormack said a number of Serbians had penetrated the embassy compound, and urged the authorities to take control of the situation.
There is a great feeling of sadness, not anger – we want it to be a peaceful protest, we want to show the world that Kosovo belongs to Serbia
Jelena Subin
In pictures: Belgrade rally
A blaze broke out in several rooms inside the compound.
One protester is reported to have climbed onto the first floor and ripped the US flag from its pole.
Riot police backed by armoured cars fired tear gas at the protesters.
The incidents came towards the end of the main demonstration, outside the parliament.
Protester Jelena Subin told the BBC it felt as if there were a million people at the Belgrade rally.
“There is a great feeling of sadness, not anger. We want it to be a peaceful protest. We want to show the world that Kosovo belongs to Serbia,” she said.
Mr Kostunica addressed the crowds from a large stage, draped in two huge Serbian flags and with a banner reading “Kosovo is Serbia” at the back.
The main rally outside parliament was peaceful
“As long as we live, Kosovo is Serbia,” he said to cheers and applause. “Kosovo belongs to the Serbian people.”
“We’ll never give up Kosovo, never!” the crowd responded.
“Is there any other nation on Earth from whom the great powers are demanding that they give up their identity, to give up our brothers in Kosovo?” he added.
Ultra-nationalist leader Tomislav Nikolic accused the US and EU of trying to steal Kosovo.
“We will not rest until Kosovo is again under Serbia’s control,” he said.
“Hitler could not take it away from us, and neither will today’s Western powers.”
Other speakers included Australian Open tennis champion Novak Djokovic, who addressed the crowd by video link.
After the speeches, the crowd marched to the city’s biggest church, the Temple of Saint Sava.
Border protest
There was thick, black smoke billowing from the crossing point at Merdare, 50km (30 miles) north-east of Kosovo’s capital Pristina.
KOSOVO PROFILE
Population about two million
Majority ethnic Albanian; 10% Serb
Under UN control since Nato drove out Serb forces in 1999
2,000-strong EU staff to take over from UN after independence
Recognised by US, UK, Germany, Italy and France
Not recognised by Russia, Spain, Slovakia, Cyprus
Nato to stay to provide security
Country profile: Kosovo
Tense confusion on border
Serbs waved large tricolour Serbian flags, chanted “Kosovo is Serbia” and tried to cross the border.
“We are here in support of the Serbs who still live in Kosovo,” Dejan Milosevic, one of the organisers, told the Associated Press news agency.
The Kosovo police, backed by Czech troops from the Nato-led peacekeeping force, put a steel barrier across the road and were able to hold their line.
The Serbs have now pulled back and ended their protest.
Protest rallies were also held in the Bosnian Serb republic (Republika Srpska). There were unconfirmed reports of injuries as several hundred protesters clashed with police outside the US consulate in Banja Luka.
The US, the UK, Germany and Italy have all recognised Kosovo.
In the coming weeks, an almost 2,000-strong EU mission will be deployed to help the country develop its police force and judiciary.
