Protests in Belgrade escalate

A massive opposition protest took place in Belgrade on Sunday demanding access to the programmes and the news on state TV. The protestors stormed the national TV building, RTS, in protest against the lack of coverage of their protests. In response to the warning by President Aleksandar Vucic that he would urge his supporters from all over the country to organize a counter-protest, the protestors cautioned him not to do so if he doesn’t want a civil war on his hands. Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic ordered the intervention of special forces. The protest escalated, resulting in violence and arrests.

Protestors in Podgorica demand resignation of PM Markovic

Several thousand people protested in Podgorica against the government of the President of Montenegro Milo Djukanovic over allegations of corruption. The participants shouted: Milo- thief!, and demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Dusko Markovic, a close associate of the president. This is the second demonstration in the Montenegrin capital since February, organized by the citizens’ movement “Resist – 97,000”. The organizers are calling another protest next Saturday.

Protestors in Tirana clash with police

At one of the biggest anti-government protests held in Tirana, the participants demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama. The demonstration started out as a peaceful march, but turned violent and protestors clashed with police during an attempt to storm parliament building. The police used tear gas and water cannon, and the protestors responded by throwing rocks at the police cordon. The protestors are demanding the formation of a transitional government and early parliamentary elections.

15 years since pogrom of Serbs marked in Kosovo

The 15th anniversary since the so-called “March pogrom” was marked in Kosovo with the laying of wreathes and flowers at the plaque commemorating the Serbs killed in Mitrovica on 17 March, 2004. Goran Rakic, chairman of the Serbian List, the Belgrade-supported party of Serbs in Kosovo stated that this “…wonderful Europe, instead of condemning this genocide, rewarded the Albanians by supporting them for the formation of their so-called semi-state”, but that “… we shall not be silenced and we remember.”

The 2004 pogrom was triggered by the killing of a young Kosovo Serb by ethnic Albanians which led to a wave of protests by Serbs. Several days later three young Albanians were drowned in the Ibar River and the ethnic Albanians laid the blame for their deaths on Serbs. The mass rioting that followed, involving around 50,000 ethnic Albanians cost 19 lives (11 Albanians and 8 Serbs), and around 900 were injured. 800 Serbian houses, 35 churches and monasteries were destroyed, and around 4,000 Serbs were banished from their homes and were evacuated by the NATO forces in Kosovo, KFOR, and the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).

Turkey reaffirms its support for territorial integrity of Ukraine

Turkey supports the territorial integrity of Ukraine and does not recognize the annexation of Crimea, the Foreign Ministry in Ankara says.

“Ukraine's Autonomous Republic of Crimea was annexed by the Russian Federation, in violation of international law, based on an illegitimate referendum held five years ago today,” the statement reads, and adds that the situation of the Crimean Tatars continues to be a priority for Ankara and that it will continue to support Crimean Tatars to live in peace and safety in their historic homeland, preserving their identity.

According to the Turkish Foreign Ministry, there are around 280,000 Tatars living in Crimea, or close to 13 percent of the total population.

Compiled by Stoimen Pavlov

English version: Milena Daynova