Podgorica peaceful after protests
The Montenegrin police arrested 28 people during yesterday’s protest against Podgorica’s recognition of Kosovo independence.
Tuesday, 14.10.2008.
10:32
The Montenegrin police arrested 28 people during yesterday’s protest against Podgorica’s recognition of Kosovo independence. 34 people were injured, according to police. Podgorica peaceful after protests Following the violence, the police have decided to ban the next anti-Kosovo independence rally, scheduled by the opposition for October 16. The rioting ended at about 21:00 CET last night, and the rest of the night was calm in Podgorica. The injured included 23 police officers and 11 civilians. Cars were destroyed, along with shop fronts, state buildings, while all of Podgorica was covered in tear gas. A video of the protest is being studied in order to identify some of the more serious trouble-makers and to establish the responsibility of the protest organizers. The violence broke out at the end of the rally, when the last speaker, Serbian List leader Andrija Mandic, warned of violent demonstrations if the Montenegrin government did not revoke its decision to recognize Kosovo’s unilateral independence declaration by Wednesday. “You remember what once happened when we went up to the government. There was a bit of tear gas and that was it, and then the people were declared terrorists. What we are standing for today is supported by two-thirds of Montenegro, and we will not allow tear gas to kill the will of the majority,” he said. The violence broke out when several hundred younger demonstrators, their faces covered with hoods and caps, broke through a barricade and started throwing stones, flares and bottles at the police. Mandic and Montenegrin Church official Afilohije Radovic tried unsuccessfully to calm the crowd down. Police fired tear gas at the hooligans, but then the violence later spread throughout the city, as windows on government buildings and store fronts were smashed all around the city, while the opposition and church leaders took cover behind the parliament building. Before the violence, opposition leaders addressed some 10,000 people, who had come from all parts of Montenegro, calling on the government to revoke its decision to recognize Kosovo by Wednesday. Chants of “betrayal” were heard and many Serbian flags could be seen, along with Chetnik iconography. Police are expected to submit a detailed report of the events later in the day. Mandic has also started a hunger strike in front of the Montenegro parliament, as he promised during the protest, after he was banned from doing so inside the parliament building or on parliament property. Yesterday night's clashes in Podgorica (FoNet)
Podgorica peaceful after protests
Following the violence, the police have decided to ban the next anti-Kosovo independence rally, scheduled by the opposition for October 16.The rioting ended at about 21:00 CET last night, and the rest of the night was calm in Podgorica.
The injured included 23 police officers and 11 civilians. Cars were destroyed, along with shop fronts, state buildings, while all of Podgorica was covered in tear gas.
A video of the protest is being studied in order to identify some of the more serious trouble-makers and to establish the responsibility of the protest organizers.
The violence broke out at the end of the rally, when the last speaker, Serbian List leader Andrija Mandić, warned of violent demonstrations if the Montenegrin government did not revoke its decision to recognize Kosovo’s unilateral independence declaration by Wednesday.
“You remember what once happened when we went up to the government. There was a bit of tear gas and that was it, and then the people were declared terrorists. What we are standing for today is supported by two-thirds of Montenegro, and we will not allow tear gas to kill the will of the majority,” he said.
The violence broke out when several hundred younger demonstrators, their faces covered with hoods and caps, broke through a barricade and started throwing stones, flares and bottles at the police.
Mandić and Montenegrin Church official Afilohije Radović tried unsuccessfully to calm the crowd down.
Police fired tear gas at the hooligans, but then the violence later spread throughout the city, as windows on government buildings and store fronts were smashed all around the city, while the opposition and church leaders took cover behind the parliament building.
Before the violence, opposition leaders addressed some 10,000 people, who had come from all parts of Montenegro, calling on the government to revoke its decision to recognize Kosovo by Wednesday.
Chants of “betrayal” were heard and many Serbian flags could be seen, along with Chetnik iconography.
Police are expected to submit a detailed report of the events later in the day.
Mandić has also started a hunger strike in front of the Montenegro parliament, as he promised during the protest, after he was banned from doing so inside the parliament building or on parliament property.
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