The US embassy in Serbia was stormed by protesters on Thursday
during a mass rally against the unilateral declaration of
independence of Kosovo, the local B92 TV station reported.
Protesters broke into the US embassy, smashed doors and windows,
and set it on fire. They also attacked the nearby Croatian embassy.
Riot police dispersed the crowds by firing tear gas and driving
armored jeeps down the street.
Tens of thousands of people from all over Serbia gathered
Thursday afternoon in Belgrade for a mass rally against Kosovo
independence. Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, leader of
the largest opposition party in the Parliament Tomislav Nikolic,
and celebrities from all walks of life addressed the rally.
The violence was the latest in a series of incidents in the wake
of Sunday's unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo.
Several hundred former Serbian army reservists attacked on
Thursday Kosovo police with stones and burning tires at the Merdare
crossing on Kosovo and Serbia border in protest of the independence
of the Serbia's southern province.
Kosovo Serb protesters destroyed on Thursday two UN customs
checkpoints and several vehicles on the border between Kosovo and
central Serbia.
Protesters attacked on Sunday the US and Slovenian embassies in
Belgrade, inflicting property destructions of the two
embassies.
Kosovo, the breakaway province of Serbia, has been under the UN
administration since 1999.
The ethnic Albanian-dominated Kosovo unilaterally declared its
independence from Serbia on February 17. Belgrade has said the
proclamation is null and void.
(Xinhua News Agency February 22, 2008)
