Goals
Time period
Country
Location City/State/Province
Location Description
Methods in 1st segment
- Protestors gave Prime Minister Djukanovic until 11:00AM on Wednesday the 15th to annul the recognition of Kosovo, call a referendum on the issue, or call early elections.
- 10,000 citizens arrived outside of Montenegrin Parliament building to protest recognition of Kosovo independence
- Opposition party leader Andrija Mandic went on hunger strike
Methods in 2nd segment
- The pro-Serbian opposition announced that they had collected 123,400 signatures in protest of Montenegro's recognition of Kosovo
- Opposition party leader Andrija Mandic went on hunger strike
Methods in 3rd segment
- Opposition party leader Andrija Mandic went on hunger strike
Methods in 4th segment
- Opposition party leader Andrija Mandic went on hunger strike
Methods in 5th segment
- Opposition party leader Andrija Mandic went on hunger strike
Methods in 6th segment
- Opposition party leader Andrija Mandic went on hunger strike
Segment Length
Leaders
Partners
External allies
Involvement of social elites
Opponents
Nonviolent responses of opponent
Campaigner violence
Repressive Violence
Cluster
Classification
Group characterization
Additional notes on joining/exiting order
Segment Length
Success in achieving specific demands/goals
Survival
Growth
Total points
Notes on outcomes
Database Narrative
On Thursday, October 9, Montenegro announced its official recognition of the independent country of Kosovo, a breakaway province of Serbia. Four separate opposition political parties worked in conjunction and called for a protest in response to the recognition. They declared that the government's decision to recognize Kosovo was illegal. Reports say that on Monday, October 13, approximately 10,000 protestersappeared at the rally. The protesters demanded that Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic's cabinet revoke its recognition of Kosovo, chanted phrases declaring that Kosovo was a part of Serbia, and accused Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic of treason. They demanded that by 11:00 AM on the following Wednesday, the parliament call for a referendum regarding whether or not Montenegro should recognize Kosovo's independence. The protesters declared that if the government did not meet their demands, they would attempt to topple it via extra-parliamentary means.
The protest had a large crowd and seemed to be going well in terms of rallying support and maintaining a nonviolent approach to the cause. Unfortunately, near the end of the official protest, a number of the protesters began throwing stones and flares at the police guarding the Parliament building. The police force responded by throwing tear gas into the crowd of demonstrators. The crowd reportedly dispersed within twenty minutes; however, it is reported that protesters and members of the police force continued to clash in side streets over the following hour. It is unclear how many were injured during the event. Numbers vary from at least four to at least thirty-four injured and admitted to Podgorica's emergency medical center. Following the protest, the Montenegrin government banned any further demonstrations - reportedly to prevent further violence from the protesters - including one that was planned for later in the week.
However, this did not stop the anti-Kosovo efforts. The same day as the original protest, Andrija Mandic, the leader of the largest pro-Serbian opposition party, began a hunger strike outside of the Parliament building and continued the hunger strike for two weeks. On the 17th of October the campaigners announced their possession of 123,400 signatures of people who opposed the recognition of Kosovo. Leaders of the campaign implied that two thirds of the Montenegrin population was anti-Kosovo and pro-Serbia.
Whether this was true or not, the campaign was ultimately unsuccessful. The deadline the protesters imposed on the government came and went without instance, the recognition of Kosovo was never revoked, and Andrija Mandic eventually ended his hunger strike.
Sources
"Anti-Kosovo Protests Turn Violent in Montenegro." Deutsche Welle. Web. Accessed 15 Jul 2011. <http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,3709057,00.html>
AFP. "Violence erupts at anti-Kosovo protest in Montenegro." International News Safety Institute. Web. Accessed 15 Jul 2011. <http://www.newssafety.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10241:violence-erupts-at-anti-kosovo-protest-in-montenegro&catid=324:serbia-security&Itemid=100350>
"Several injured in anti-Kosovo protests." France 24. Web. Accessed 15 Jul 2011. <http://www.france24.com/en/20081014-anti-kosovo-protests-turn-violent-montenegro-serbia-independence>
"Violence erupts at anti-Kosovo protest in Montenegro." Channelnewsasia.com. Web. Accessed 15 Jul 2011. <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world/view/382621/1/.html>
"Montenegro ups anti-Kosovo stakes." BalkanInsight. Web. Accessed 15 Jul 2011. <http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/montenegro-ups-anti-kosovo-stakes>
"Montenegro Protests Turn Violent." Sky News HD. Web. Accessed 15 Jul 2011. <http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Montenegro-Dozens-Hurt-In-Clashes-As-Pro-Serbians-Protest-Against-Recogition-Of-Kosovo-Independence/Article/200810215120017>
"Clashes in Montenegro over Kosovo." BBC News. Web. Accessed 15 Jul 2011. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7668597.stm>
Howarth, Angus. "Pro-Serbia protests rock Montenegro." NEWS.scotsman.com. 14 Oct 2008. Web. Accessed 15 Jul 2011. <http://news.scotsman.com/world/ProSerbia-protests-rock-Montenegro.4587647.jp>
BLIC. "Andrija Mandic ended strike." AllVoices. 27 Oct 2008. Web. Accessed 15 Jul 2011. <http://www.allvoices.com/news/1633033/s/21804729-andrija-mandic-ended-strike>
Tanner, Adam. "Saying 'no' to old ally Serbia unsettles Montenegro." Reuters. 16 Oct 2008. Web. Accessed 15 Jul 2011. <http://www.allvoices.com/news/1633033/s/21804729-andrija-mandic-ended-strike>
"Violent clashes in Montenegro over Kosovo recognition." inthenews.co.uk. 14 Oct 2008. Web. Accessed 15 Jul 2011. <http://www.inthenews.co.uk/news/world/autocodes/autocodes/serbia/violent-clashes-in-montenegro-over-kosovo-recognition-%241244749.htm>
"Podgorica peaceful after protests." B 92. 14 Oct 2008. Web. Accessed 15 Jul 2011. <http://www.b92.net/eng/news/region-article.php%3Fyyyy%3D2008%26mm%3D10%26dd%3D14%26nav_id%3D54211>
BalkanInsight.com. "Clashes erupt in Montenegro over Kosovo." The Sofia Echo. 14 Oct 2008. Web. Accessed 15 Jul 2011. <http://sofiaecho.com/2008/10/14/660807_clashes-erupt-in-montenegro-over-kosovo>
"Montenegro police clash with pro-Serb protesters." The Seattle Times. 14 Oct 2008. Web. Accessed 15 Jul 2011. <http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008263546_wdig14.html>
Milic, Predrag. "Montenegro opposition: police incited violence." Sign on San Diego. 14 Oct 2008. Web. Accessed 15 Jul 2011. <http://legacy.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20081014-0842-eu-montenegro-kosovo-serbia.html>
"Dukanovic: Recognition was inevitable." B 92. 15 Oct 2008. Web. Accessed 15 Jul 2011. <http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php%3Fyyyy%3D2008%26mm%3D10%26dd%3D15%26nav_id%3D54247>
"Recognition of Kosovo protested." UPI. 15 Oct 2008. Web. Accessed 15 Jul 2011. <http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/10/15/Recognition_of_Kosovo_protested/UPI-60911224044571>
BalkanInsight. "Montenegro opposition to rally over Kosovo." The Sofia Echo. 13 Oct 2008. Web. Accessed 15 Jul 2011. <http://sofiaecho.com/2008/10/13/664038_montenegro-opposition-to-rally-over-kosovo>
"Montenegro formally recognises Kosovo's independence." SETimes. 13 Oct 2008. Web. Accessed 15 Jul 2011. <http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2008/10/13/feature-01>
Additional Notes
http://www.kyivpost.com/gallery/album/404/photo/1/
A video of the protest can be found here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7668595.stm
Edited by Max Rennebohm (15/07/2011)