The police are Montenegro When the new head of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the country arrived in a helicopter for the inauguration, they fired tear gas at the protesters.
The decision to appoint Bishop Joanikiye as the new metropolitan area of Montenegro in the historic Cetinje Monastery has exacerbated ethnic tensions in this small Balkan country.
Since Saturday, protesters have blocked roads in an attempt to prevent entry into the town, which is the headquarters of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) and a symbol of the sovereignty of some Montenegrin people.
Montenegro seceded from Serbia in 2006, but one-third of its 620,000 residents were identified as Serbs, and some denied that Montenegro should be an independent entity. Opponents accuse SPC of serving the interests of Belgrade.
According to the picture released by the Supreme People’s Court, Joanikiye was landed on the lawn of the monastery by a helicopter, and then rushed in with the sound of the bell.
The police set up a security border around the 15th-century building to protect the short enthronement ceremony, and the police fired tear gas and sound bombs to drive the protesters out of the monastery.
After his predecessor, Metropolis Amfilohije, passed away from Covid-19, Metropolis Joanikije was appointed to his new position in May.
Thousands of protesters used cars or piled up rocks to block the road on Saturday, and many huddled up by the fire all night to keep warm.
“I’m here to show my love for this country,” said Saska Brajovic, a 50-year-old protester. We are here to defend our dignity. “
The protesters were supported by President Milo Đukanovic’s Socialist Democratic Party, which accused neighboring Serbia and the Supreme People’s Council of “dismissing Montenegrin and Montenegrin and the integrity of his country” .
Djukanovic has been eager to curb the influence of the Supreme People’s Council in Montenegro and build an independent Orthodox church, but his party was defeated in the August 2020 elections. The current government led by Pitch accused him of deliberately inciting recent political tensions. Purpose.
