At least 51 police officers and 34 civilians have been injured in Serb protests that have followed the proclamation of Kosovo's independence over the past 2 days, the Serbian interior ministry said, as quoted by Bulgarian news agency BTA and Dnevnik daily on February 20.
The Serbian interior ministry called upon all citizens to express their discontent with Kosovo's self-proclaimed independence “in a peaceful and dignified manner”, sending a special appeal to sports clubs and their fans, notorious for their violent outbursts, to cooperate with the police in keeping order and protecting private property.
The Serb demonstrations damaged several buildings, including the diplomatic and consular representations of the USA, Canada, Slovenia, Turkey and Iran, but also 10 McDonald's restaurants, 52 shops and four party headquarters. Dozens of cars have also been vandalised, Dnevnik daily reported.
Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica and President Boris Tadić have both called for an end to street violence, which they say is detrimental to the country, Serbian radio station B92 reported.
