Protesters in Kosovo clashed with police on Saturday during a rally in the capital Pristina over a deal the government struck with Serbia last year.
The rally was organized by opposition parties in front of the National Theatre in a bid to convince the government to scrap the August 25 agreement, which allows Serbia to defend the rights of ethnic Serbs through associations in Kosovar municipalities.
Protesters caused a small fire throwing Molotov cocktails at a government building -- which contained several ministry offices -- after speeches by opposition leaders. The police then intervened with tear gas and water cannon to disperse the crowd.
No injuries have been reported, and firefighters quickly arrived at the scene to put out the flames.
Opposition parties have been boycotting parliament sessions for months after officials from Kosovo and Serbia agreed to establish associations for Kosovo Serb municipalities as part of the deal.
Opposition lawmakers threw gas bombs in parliament a few times, disrupting plenary sessions.
The agreement primarily aims to normalize bilateral relations to facilitate EU membership negotiations for both countries.
Kosovo has been recognized by 111 countries since it declared independence from Serbia in 2008 but its bid to become a full United Nations member has been blocked by Russia, Serbia’s closed ally.
The rally was organized by opposition parties in front of the National Theatre in a bid to convince the government to scrap the August 25 agreement, which allows Serbia to defend the rights of ethnic Serbs through associations in Kosovar municipalities.
Protesters caused a small fire throwing Molotov cocktails at a government building -- which contained several ministry offices -- after speeches by opposition leaders. The police then intervened with tear gas and water cannon to disperse the crowd.
No injuries have been reported, and firefighters quickly arrived at the scene to put out the flames.
Opposition parties have been boycotting parliament sessions for months after officials from Kosovo and Serbia agreed to establish associations for Kosovo Serb municipalities as part of the deal.
Opposition lawmakers threw gas bombs in parliament a few times, disrupting plenary sessions.
The agreement primarily aims to normalize bilateral relations to facilitate EU membership negotiations for both countries.
Kosovo has been recognized by 111 countries since it declared independence from Serbia in 2008 but its bid to become a full United Nations member has been blocked by Russia, Serbia’s closed ally.
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