Several hurt as Gendarmes, army vets clash

Protesting army veterans clashed with MUP Zandarmerija (Gendarmerie) on the Nis-Pristina road near Kursumlija on Sunday, reports say. Initial reports said that three former soldiers and six policemen, two of them Gendarmes, were lightly injured, while four protesters were arrested. Several hurt as Gendarmes, army vets clash Later in the day, FoNet news agency said that 15 policemen and ten demonstrators were hurt in the violence. MUP confirmed that "several of its members and several demonstrators" were injured. More than a thousand protesters from 20 towns, on their way to the administrative line with Kosovo, were stopped on the bridge over the Toplica River by a quadruple cordon of some 300 Gendarmes and riot police in full riot gear. As the veterans tried to break through the cordon, several people were injured. The worst clashes occurred when the protesters managed to break through the cordon with a car. Gendarmes proceeded to beat them, arresting several people, while two vehicles sustained heavy damage. Veterans say that the police attacked them unprovoked, and accuse the officers of brutality, calling on Interior Minister Ivica Dacic to resign. They say they planned to go to Merdare to demand the war wages owed them by the state, but also to raise their voices against the forming of the Kosovo security forces, and to offer their support to the Serbs in Kosovo. The tension on the bridge diffused after two hours, when police and the veterans agreed that if four of their members arrested earlier were released, they would unblock the road. Photos from today's unrest in our Gallery Earlier today, it was announced that the military veterans from southern Serbia were headed in 40 cars and several buses to the Merdare administrative line with Kosovo. They planned to continue months of protests over unpaid war wages by blocking the traffic at that checkpoint. The former Yugoslav Army (VJ) reserve soldiers, called up during the war in Kosovo in 1999, come from some 20 towns in southern Serbia, and wish to draw the government's attention to their demands. Dejan Milosevic, who heads one of their associations, said that they expect the government to adopt an urgent decree that will allow all veterans to receive the same amount of money. "Everyone should get what some individuals have gotten through courts, and that is from RSD 500,000 to one million," he said. Earlier, Milosevic told B92 that the Iron Regiment association will demand the same sum for each of their members. He also said that several thousand protesters were expected today. "Unless our state takes this problem seriously we will be forced to go to the government and seek justice in the street," Milosevic announced. He reminded that all the previous protests went without incidents, and that their desire is to "solve the problems in a dignified manner". Police and protesters clash on Sunday (Beta)

Several hurt as Gendarmes, army vets clash

Later in the day, FoNet news agency said that 15 policemen and ten demonstrators were hurt in the violence.

MUP confirmed that "several of its members and several demonstrators" were injured.

More than a thousand protesters from 20 towns, on their way to the administrative line with Kosovo, were stopped on the bridge over the Toplica River by a quadruple cordon of some 300 Gendarmes and riot police in full riot gear.

As the veterans tried to break through the cordon, several people were injured.

The worst clashes occurred when the protesters managed to break through the cordon with a car.

Gendarmes proceeded to beat them, arresting several people, while two vehicles sustained heavy damage.

Veterans say that the police attacked them unprovoked, and accuse the officers of brutality, calling on Interior Minister Ivica Dačić to resign.

They say they planned to go to Merdare to demand the war wages owed them by the state, but also to raise their voices against the forming of the Kosovo security forces, and to offer their support to the Serbs in Kosovo.

The tension on the bridge diffused after two hours, when police and the veterans agreed that if four of their members arrested earlier were released, they would unblock the road. Photos from today's unrest in our Gallery

Earlier today, it was announced that the military veterans from southern Serbia were headed in 40 cars and several buses to the Merdare administrative line with Kosovo.

They planned to continue months of protests over unpaid war wages by blocking the traffic at that checkpoint.

The former Yugoslav Army (VJ) reserve soldiers, called up during the war in Kosovo in 1999, come from some 20 towns in southern Serbia, and wish to draw the government's attention to their demands.

Dejan Milošević, who heads one of their associations, said that they expect the government to adopt an urgent decree that will allow all veterans to receive the same amount of money.

"Everyone should get what some individuals have gotten through courts, and that is from RSD 500,000 to one million," he said.

Earlier, Milošević told B92 that the Iron Regiment association will demand the same sum for each of their members. He also said that several thousand protesters were expected today.

"Unless our state takes this problem seriously we will be forced to go to the government and seek justice in the street," Milošević announced.

He reminded that all the previous protests went without incidents, and that their desire is to "solve the problems in a dignified manner".