2008_Serbia_protests

2008 protests against Kosovo declaration of independence

2008 protests against Kosovo declaration of independence

2008 protests against Kosovo declaration of independence

Widespread protests and riots in Serbia and North Kosovo followed the proclamation of independence by the Republic of Kosovo on February 17, 2008. Protests were also held by Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro.

Quick Facts Date, Location ...

Serbia

February 17–20

  • On February 17, approximately 2,000 Serbs protested and stoned, then entered the Slovenian embassy in which they made major damage (Slovenia held the rotating Council presidency of the European Union at the time),[5] burnt down portions of the United States and Croatian embassy buildings in Belgrade, with some throwing stones and firecrackers at the buildings before being driven back by riot police.[6]
  • On February 18, a false bomb threat was called on a Slovenian Mercator store in Belgrade.[7] It was also announced that Beovizija 2008, originally scheduled for February 19, would be rescheduled to March 10 and 11.[8] In the multi-ethnic northern Serbian town of Subotica, approximately 300 protesting Serb youths chanted nationalist slogans directed against the country's Albanian, Hungarian and Croat communities.[9]
  • On February 19, protesters damaged several foreign businesses in Užice, including Société Générale, UniCredit and the Croatian-owned supermarket Idea.[10] The Serbian division of U.S. Steel, based in Smederevo, had a false bomb threat called in.[11] In Belgrade, stones were thrown by protesters at the Turkish embassy.[12]
  • On February 20, the Australian embassy in Belgrade was closed in anticipation of the following day's protests.[13] A protest in Niš drew several thousand people and was peaceful.[14]

Kosovo is Serbia protest

Main article: Kosovo is Serbia
Kosovo is Serbia rally on February 21, 2008 in Belgrade

On February 21, a very large demonstration called Kosovo is Serbia (Косово је Србија, Kosovo je Srbija) was held in Belgrade in front of the Parliament organized by the Serbian government, with up to hundreds of thousands people attending it.[15] Speakers at the protest were: Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica, opposition leader Tomislav Nikolić, Republika Srpska Prime Minister Milorad Dodik, Montenegro opposition leader Andrija Mandić, Montenegro opposition politician Predrag Popović, basketball player Dejan Bodiroga, filmmaker Emir Kusturica, tennis player Novak Djokovic (via link), actors Ivana Žigon [sr], Nenad Jezdić and Nataša Tapušković, and Yugoslav crown prince Alexander Karađorđević.

After the protest, people gathered at the Temple of Saint Sava for a religious service, where a speech was held by acting head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Archbishop Amfilohije Risto Radović of Montenegro and the Littoral.

The president of Serbia and commander-in-chief of Serbian Armed Forces, Boris Tadic (Democratic Party), did not attend. The rally was not supported by the Liberal Democratic Party[16] nor by the League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina, both of which are represented in Parliament.

Attacks on diplomatic missions and businesses

Map of the attacked embassies after the rally
US embassy after Kosovo is Serbia rally on February 21, 2008 in Belgrade

The protest was peaceful until participants arrived at the US, Chinese, Croatian and Slovenian embassies, where a group of about 1000 rioters[17] separated themselves and started attacking the embassies. They burned the US embassy, entered and destroyed the interior and exterior of the Croatian and Chinese embassy[18] and caused minor damage to the Slovenian embassy.[19] The security cameras in the Slovenian embassy also filmed the action outside the embassy where Serbian police didn't try to stop the protesters from entering the embassy, instead they moved away, which caused protests in Slovenia.[20] Emergency services were able to put the fire out in embassies after protesters dissipated.[21] At around 21:00 UTC, American news service CNN reported that "charred remains" of an individual had been found inside the burnt-out offices. Flags of United States, Croatia, Slovenia and European Union were also burnt.[22][23] In response, a group of around fifty Croatian protesters burnt the Serbian flag in central Zagreb, after which the police arrested 44 of them.[24] Police guarded the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade on February 22.[25] [26] Other foreign embassies damaged in the course of the protest included those of Belgium, Germany and Turkey.[27][28] In Belgrade and Novi Sad, McDonald's shops were damaged by protesters.[29] According to Serbian sources, the violent protesters were ad hoc football fans. 54 policemen and 34 citizens were injured. A Dutch journalist suffered broken ribs.[30] Serbian politicians condemned the violence.[31] The total damage from the violence was estimated at over 8 million Serbian dinars ($US 143,000).[32] The United Nations Security Council responded to these incidents by issuing a unanimous statement that, "The members of the Security Council condemn in the strongest terms the mob attacks against embassies in Belgrade, which have resulted in damage to embassy premises and have endangered diplomatic personnel," noting that the 1961 Vienna Convention requires host states to protect embassies.[33] In response to the attacks, the German embassy announced that it would temporarily stop granting visas to Serbian citizens.[28] Also on February 21, Serbian army reservists from Kuršumlija took their protest into Kosovo, during which time they attacked the Kosovo Police Service with stones.[34] An explosive was set off in the Kosovo Serb enclave of Kosovska Mitrovica near a United Nations-run courthouse.[35] During the rally there were people who carried portraits of ICTY-fugitive former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadžić and the blue-red flag of the far-right Orthodox organization Obraz.[36] In Kraljevo, Obraz was responsible for the vandalization of an Evangelical church.[32] In Valjevo, a Slovenian firm Sava Osiguranje was set on fire, most likely by protesting youths.[37] The Radio Television of Serbia took American films and sitcoms off the air, replacing them with content from Spain and Russia, who have been against Kosovo's independence.[38]

February 22

The Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration warned against travelling to Belgrade, resulting in the cancellation of an Adriatic League basketball match between Zagreb's KK Cibona and Belgrade's KK Partizan.[39] A concert by the Croatian band Hladno pivo scheduled for February 29 was similarly cancelled.[40] Also on February 22, the United States embassy in Serbia ordered the temporary evacuation of all non-essential personnel, after the protests and attacks on the embassy. Rian Harris, a U.S. embassy spokeswoman, explained the evacuation to AFP saying that "Dependents are being temporarily ordered to depart Belgrade. We do not have confidence that Serbian authorities can provide security for our staff members."[41] Slovenia also closed its own embassy, recommending its citizens not to travel to Serbia.[42] The European Union froze talks with Serbia on the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, the country's next step in EU-integration.[43] Meanwhile, nationalist organizations were reportedly spreading leaflets urging citizens to boycott banks and goods coming from the countries that support the independence of Kosovo.[44]

February 23

The American embassy drew down staffing in Belgrade with a convoy headed to Croatia.[45] By this time, Serbian authorities reported that 200 rioters from the Belgrade protest had been arrested.[2] The Kosovo-Serbia border crossings had also been normalized.[2] The Liberal Democratic Party and the League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina again expressed criticism of Prime Minister Koštunica and his handling of the events since Kosovo's declaration.[46][better source needed]

February 26

Serbia's National Security Council met to discuss how police had failed to stop the mob from attacking the embassy on the 21st.[47]

The United States raised its travel alert for Serbia to a travel warning.[48]

Zoran Vujović, the protester who died during the attack on the U.S. embassy, was buried in Novi Sad on February 26.[4] Several thousand people attended the funeral.[4]

February 27

Human Rights Watch said that "Serbia's government should act quickly to reduce the dangerously hostile climate for human rights groups" since the Kosovo declaration.[49]

February 28

The largest protest in Valjevo drew a crowd of several thousand people on February 28.[50]

February 29

On February 29, Serbian police charged 80 people in connection with the embassy attacks.[51]

North Kosovo

See also: 2008 unrest in Kosovo

Note on Kosovo independence

  • On February 19, Serbian protesters destroyed two UNMIK border checkpoints between Kosovo and Serbia.[52] Serbian minister for Kosovo, Slobodan Samardžić, declared that the act was legitimate and in line with the Serbian government's position.[53] A group called Mlada Bosna (Young Bosnia) also claimed responsibility for a string of hand-grenade attacks after Kosovo's declaration.[54]
  • On February 22, NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR) began blocking entrance into Kosovo from Serbia to those who "threaten public order" after several hundred students from Belgrade, Niš, and Kragujevac attempted to cross in.[55] Despite the blockade, some of the protesters managed to make their way to Kosovska Mitrovica where they took part in clashes against UN police.[56]
  • On February 23, BBC News reported that nationalist Serbs were seeking to permanently separate North Kosovo from the Republic of Kosovo, through a strategy of confrontation, sabotage, and low-level violence directed against international institutions.[57] With continued Serb protests in northern Mitrovica, EU staff withdrew from the area.[58]
  • On February 24, with the seventh consecutive day of Serb protesting in Mitrovica, protests drew approximately 1000 people.[59] Despite some Serbian media outlets' claim to the contrary, Serbs from North Kosovo have not been leaving the Kosovo Police Service.[60] The United States' ambassador to Serbia called on the country's leaders to do more to protect foreign diplomatic missions.[61]
  • On February 25, the protest in Mitrovica drew 2,000 people, during which an EU flag was burnt.[62] On the Kosovo-Serbia border, 19 Kosovo police officers were injured by Serb protesters, before receiving additional help from NATO peacekeepers who dispersed the group.[63]
  • On February 26, protests continued in Mitrovica where students staged a mock football game in which one team represented Serbia and the other team states which have recognized Kosovo.[64]
  • Protests in Mitrovica drew thousands on March 6, as well as several hundred in Gračanica, including suspended Serb policemen of KPS.[65][66]
  • On March 14, 2008, after staging rallies for several weeks that prevented ethnic Albanian court employees from entering a UN courthouse in the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica, hundreds of Kosovo Serbs broke into the building in the Serb-dominated part of the city, forcing UN police to retreat.[67] UN officials' negotiations with the Serbs to end the occupation were unsuccessful, and on March 17 UN police with the assistance of NATO-led KFOR forces entered the courthouse in a pre-dawn raid. When they arrived they were pelted with stones by around 100 Serbs. When they came out after arresting 53 of the protesters inside the courthouse they were attacked with gunfire, grenades and rocks by several hundred protesters who had massed outside.[68] About half of the protesters who had been arrested were freed by fellow protesters during the clashes with the rest being released by the UN after questioning.[69] The clashes lasted until around noon. One Ukrainian police officer was killed, 70 Serbs and 61 UN and NATO peacekeepers were wounded, and one UN vehicle and one NATO truck were set ablaze. Among the wounded international troops were 27 Polish and 14 Ukrainian police officers and 20 French soldiers. UN police withdrew from northern Mitrovica, leaving the area under the control of the NATO forces.[70][71]
  • Gen. John Craddock, NATO's top commander, said that after speaking with NATO commanders in Kosovo that NATO did not feel it necessary to send reinforcements to Kosovo.[69] On 19 March, UN police began to patrol parts of north Mitrovica again together with local Kosovo police, while the NATO peacekeepers still remained in overall control of security at the courthouse and generally in the north of Kosovo. A gradual transition to civilian control will happen over the next days.[72]

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Protests after Kosovo's declaration of independence in Banja Luka, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Protests were held in Republika Srpska, the Serb-inhabited entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On the 26th, about 10,000 protested in Banja Luka; a small group of them later approached the U.S. embassy branch office, damaging shopfronts and stoning police who blocked their path. Eventually, they were dispersed by tear gas.[73]

Montenegro

On October 9, 2008, Montenegro recognized Kosovo's independence. This move by the Montenegrin government, opposed by many in the country, led to a protest rally in Podgorica on October 13 attended by over 20,000 people. The rally, held in front of the Parliament of Montenegro building, was organized by the Serb List, Socialist People's Party of Montenegro, People's Party, Democratic Serb Party of Montenegro, and other opposition parties. It was backed by Movement for Changes and the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral of the Serbian Orthodox Church, and Metropolitan Amfilohije Radović was announced as speaker.[74] Demonstrators demanded that the Montenegrin government and Prime Minister Milo Đukanović rescind their recognition of Kosovo. They waved Serbian flags, chanting "Kosovo is Serbia" and other slogans against the prime minister and his cabinet, calling them ustashas and shiptars. At the end of the rally, riots broke out and small groups attacked riot police in front of the parliament building. The rioters were eventually driven back by police, and 28 people were arrested and 34 were injured. The pro-Serbian opposition planned a second protest on 16 October, but the Montenegrin police said that no protests from the opposition would be accepted.[75][76][77]

Diaspora

Serbs protesting in Vienna (left) and London (right) in February, 2008.

Protests were also held in diaspora communities, such as in London (23 February), Vienna (24 February), and by Serbian students in Brussels on 28 February.[78]

See also

References

  1. [1]
    CNN report on February 21 protest in Serbia claims more than 2,000,000 people attending
  2. [2]
    Serbia: Police and Authorities Allowed Attacks Archived February 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, Večernji list, February 23, 2008
  3. [3]
    "UN officer dies after Kosovo riot". bbc.co.uk. 2008-03-18. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  4. [4]
    Serbs mourn youth who died in riots targeting US embassy, International Herald Tribune, February 27, 2008
  5. [5]
    "Türk zahteva opravičilo in odškodnino".
  6. [6]
    "Kosovo declares independence". International Herald Tribune Europe. 2008-02-17. Retrieved 2008-02-17.
  7. [7]
    "Serbia calls for calm protests, cuts diplomatic ties (Roundup) - Europe". 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-02-26. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  8. [8]
    "Zbog stanja na Kosovu do daljnjeg otkazana Beovizija". 2008. Archived from the original on February 22, 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  9. [9]
    Last night in Subotica a protest was held due in response to the declaration of independence by Kosovo Archived February 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  10. [10]
    "SEEbiz.eu — Retailing — Todorić's Idea attacked in Užice". 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  11. [11]
    "B92 - Vesti — Neredi u gradovima Srbije — Internet, Radio i TV stanica; najnovije vesti iz Srbije". 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-02-26. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  12. [12]
    "Serbia tries to claw back Kosovo — SBS World News Australia". 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-02-26. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  13. [13]
    Tullberg, Julie (2008-02-22). "Protesters want Kosovo decision reversed — Breaking News — National — Breaking News". The Age. Melbourne. Archived from the original on 2012-12-31. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  14. [14]
    Niš: Several thousand students protest Archived February 26, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, B92, February 20, 2008
  15. [15]
    "Četiri godine od proglašenja nezavisnosti Kosova".
  16. [16]
    ":: Liberalno-demokratska partija". 2008. Archived from the original on 2013-04-16. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  17. [17]
    "US starts evacuation from Serbia". BBC. 2008-02-23. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
  18. [18]
    "Demonstracije v Beogradu: Protestniki vdrli v slovensko veleposlaništvo - SiOL.net". Archived from the original on 2010-03-24. Retrieved 2010-11-19.
  19. [19]
    "Belgrade's US Embassy set on fire". Associated Press. 2008-02-21. Archived from the original on 2008-02-26.
  20. [20]
    "Serbs breaks into Slovenian embassy". www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.
  21. [21]
    "Furious U.S. warns Serbs over Belgrade embassy attack". Star Tribune. 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-02-28. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  22. [22]
    "Vdrli v slovensko ambasado v Beogradu, spopadi pred Mercatorjem, ranjenih 50 ljudi".
  23. [23]
    "U Beogradu napadnute hrvatska i američka ambasada — Jutarnji.hr". 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-04-30. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  24. [24]
    "Gnjevni Boysi zapalili srpsku zastavu — Jutarnji.hr". 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-05-01. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  25. [25]
    "Fresh violence in Kosovo Serb protests — CNN.com". 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-02-25. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  26. [26]
    "Kosovo declares independence from Serbia; Russia protests, warning it will stir conflict". Charleston Daily Mail. 2008-02-17. Archived from the original on 2008-02-26. Retrieved 2008-02-17.
  27. [27]
    "DNEVNIAVAZ.BA — Multimedija — Huligani pale i ruše sve pred sobom!". 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-02-25. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  28. [28]
    German embassy stopped giving visas to Serbian citizens Archived February 27, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, Večernji list
  29. [29]
    Lekic, Slobodan (2008-02-17). "Serbian president rejects Kosovo independence declaration". Adelaide Now. Retrieved 2008-02-17.
  30. [30]
    "Ongoing violence threatens relations with Serbia – EU — News news". 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  31. [31]
    "Predsednik Tadić neće govoriti na mitingu". Blic Online. 2008. Archived from the original on 2013-04-16. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  32. [32]
    Account of yesterday's chaos, B92, February 22, 2008
  33. [33]
    Worsnip, Patrick (2008-02-21). "U.N. council condemns Belgrade embassy attacks". Reuters. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
  34. [34]
    "Srbijanski rezervisti kamenjem gađali kosovsku policiju na prijelazu Merdare". 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-02-28. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  35. [35]
    "Javno — World". 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-02-26. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  36. [36]
    "Belgrade Riots — Photo Essays — TIME". Time. 2008-02-21. Archived from the original on February 25, 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  37. [37]
    Office of Slovenian firm Sava Osiguranje set on fire Archived 2008-02-25 at the Wayback Machine, February 22, 2008
  38. [38]
    Purvis, Andrew (2008-02-22). "US-Serb Tension Mounts Over Kosovo — TIME". Time. Archived from the original on February 25, 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  39. [39]
    "Sportal.hr — Cibona vraćena iz Beograda, Partizan garantira sigurnost". 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-22.[permanent dead link]
  40. [40]
    "Otkazan koncert Hladnog piva u Beogradu — Jutarnji.hr". 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-04-20. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  41. [41]
    "US to evacuate staff from Serbia". BBC News. 2008-02-22. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  42. [42]
    "B92 - Vesti — Ambasada Slovenije zatvorena — Internet, Radio i TV stanica; najnovije vesti iz Srbije". 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
  43. [43]
    "TODAY'S ZAMAN". 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-02-26. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  44. [44]
    "Serbia gives reminder of defiance under Milosevic — Europe, News — Independent.co.uk". The Independent. London. 2008-02-23. Archived from the original on 2022-05-01. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  45. [45]
    "US starts evacuation from Serbia". www.bbc.co.uk. BBC. 2008-02-23. Retrieved 2008-02-24.
  46. [46]
    "Serbia on verge of isolation after riots". Archived from the original on 2018-11-18. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
  47. [47]
    "Serbia probes police inaction during embassy attacks". AFP/Google. 2008-02-26. Archived from the original on 2008-03-03. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
  48. [48]
    Hamm, Catharine M. (February 26, 2008). "U.S. heightens travel warning in Serbia". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
  49. [49]
    Serbia: Protect civil society and minorities - Government should unequivocally condemn and quell violence
  50. [50]
    "Srednjoškolci u protestu zbog Kosova". Press. Beta. 2008-02-28. Archived from the original on 2012-03-15. Retrieved 2010-11-30.
  51. [51]
    Serbia Charges 80 People Over Riots [dead link]
  52. [52]
    "Srpski prosvjednici uništili dvije kontrolne točke UNMIK-a na Kosovu". 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-04-02. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  53. [53]
    "Samardžić: Demoliranje kontrolnih točaka UNMIK-a je legitimno i u skladu s politikom srbijanske vlade". 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-03-17. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  54. [54]
    Wilkinson, Tracy (2008-02-20). "Sign Up". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2008-10-13. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  55. [55]
    "B92 - News — Politics — North Kosovo: UNMIK, students in new disturbance". 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-02-25. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  56. [56]
    "The Associated Press: Kosovo Serb Protesters Attack UN Police". 2008. Archived from the original on February 25, 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  57. [57]
    Thorpe, Nick (2008-02-23). "Serbs enact plan to sabotage Kosovo". BBC News. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
  58. [58]
    EU staff flee from Kosovo's split city
  59. [59]
    Kosovo marks its first full week of independence[better source needed] Archived February 27, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  60. [60]
    Serbs not leaving the KPS, B92, February 24, 2008
  61. [61]
    U.S. ambassador angered by Serb violence
  62. [62]
    Protesters in North Kosovo Burn EU Flag, Associated Press, February 25, 2008 Archived March 3, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  63. [63]
    Protest at Kosovo border post injures 19 police officers
  64. [64]
    "Kosovo Serbs protest independence declaration with mock soccer game". Xinhua. 2008-02-27. Archived from the original on April 3, 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
  65. [65]
    "Protesti Srba u Gračanici". Press. 2008-03-05. Archived from the original on 2012-03-15. Retrieved 2010-10-30.
  66. [66]
    Protesti na Kosovu – i danas - RADIO TELEVIZIJA VOJVODINE
  67. [67]
    "Kosovo Serbs seize UN courthouse". BBC News. 2008-03-14. Retrieved 2008-03-14.
  68. [68]
    "UN police forced out of Kosovo town after clashes". Agence France Presse. 2008-03-17. Archived from the original on 2008-03-22. Retrieved 2008-03-17.
  69. [69]
    Radovanovic, Radul (2008-03-17). "Peacekeepers battle Serbs in Kosovo". Yahoo News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2008-03-22. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
  70. [70]
    "Kosovo clashes force UN pullout". BBC News. 2008-03-17. Retrieved 2008-03-17.
  71. [71]
    "UN officer dies after Kosovo riot". BBC News. 2008-03-18. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
  72. [72]
    "UN police back in north Mitrovica". BBC News. 2008-03-19. Retrieved 2008-03-19.
  73. [73]
    "Bosnian Serbs Try to Storm US Consulate". AP/Google. 2008-02-26. Retrieved 2008-02-27.[dead link]
  74. [74]
    "Incidenti na protestu u Podgorici (VIDEO) :: Mondo". Archived from the original on 2008-10-16. Retrieved 2008-10-19.
  75. [75]
    RTS, Neredi u Podgorici
  76. [76]
    MTS mondo, Crna Gora: Policija zabranjuje nove skupove!
  77. [77]
    MTS mondo, Incidenti na protestu u Podgorici
  78. [78]
    "Serbs protest in Brussels".
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kosovo is Serbia rally.
Wikisource has original text related to this article:
Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article 2008_Serbia_protests, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.