2008 protests against Kosovo declaration of independence

Widespread protests and riots in Serbia and North Kosovo followed the proclamation of independence by the Republic of Kosovo on February 17, 2008. Protests were also held by Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro.

On February 21, a very large demonstration called Kosovo is Serbia (Косово је Србија, Kosovo je Srbija) was held in Belgrade in front of the Parliament organized by the Serbian government, with up to hundreds of thousands people attending it. Speakers at the protest were: Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica, opposition leader Tomislav Nikolić, Republika Srpska Prime Minister Milorad Dodik, Montenegro opposition leader Andrija Mandić, Montenegro opposition politician Predrag Popović, basketball player Dejan Bodiroga, filmmaker Emir Kusturica, tennis player Novak Djokovic (via link), actors Ivana Žigon [sr], Nenad Jezdić and Nataša Tapušković, and Yugoslav crown prince Alexander Karađorđević.

After the protest, people gathered at the Temple of Saint Sava for a religious service, where a speech was held by acting head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Archbishop Amfilohije Risto Radović of Montenegro and the Littoral.

The president of Serbia and commander-in-chief of Serbian Armed Forces, Boris Tadic (Democratic Party), did not attend. The rally was not supported by the Liberal Democratic Party nor by the League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina, both of which are represented in Parliament.

The protest was peaceful until participants arrived at the US, Chinese, Croatian and Slovenian embassies, where a group of about 1000 rioters separated themselves and started attacking the embassies. They burned the US embassy, entered and destroyed the interior and exterior of the Croatian and Chinese embassy and caused minor damage to the Slovenian embassy. The security cameras in the Slovenian embassy also filmed the action outside the embassy where Serbian police didn't try to stop the protesters from entering the embassy, instead they moved away, which caused protests in Slovenia. Emergency services were able to put the fire out in embassies after protesters dissipated. At around 21:00 UTC, CNN reported that "charred remains" of an individual had been found inside the burnt-out offices. Flags of the United States, Croatia, Slovenia and European Union were also burnt.

In response, a group of around fifty Croatian protesters burnt the Serbian flag in central Zagreb, after which the police arrested 44 of them.

Police guarded the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade on February 22. Other foreign embassies damaged in the course of the protest included those of Belgium, Germany and Turkey. In Belgrade and Novi Sad, McDonald's shops were damaged by protesters. According to Serbian sources, the violent protesters were ad hoc football fans. 54 policemen and 34 citizens were injured. A Dutch journalist suffered broken ribs. Serbian politicians condemned the violence. The total damage from the violence was estimated at over 8 million Serbian dinars ($US 143,000). The United Nations Security Council responded to these incidents by issuing a unanimous statement that, "The members of the Security Council condemn in the strongest terms the mob attacks against embassies in Belgrade, which have resulted in damage to embassy premises and have endangered diplomatic personnel," noting that the 1961 Vienna Convention requires host states to protect embassies. In response to the attacks, the German embassy announced that it would temporarily stop granting visas to Serbian citizens. Also on February 21, Serbian army reservists from Kuršumlija took their protest into Kosovo, during which time they attacked the Kosovo Police Service with stones. An explosive was set off in the Kosovo Serb enclave of Kosovska Mitrovica near a United Nations-run courthouse. During the rally there were people who carried portraits of ICTY-fugitive former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadžić and the blue-red flag of the far-right Orthodox organization Obraz. In Kraljevo, Obraz was responsible for the vandalization of an Evangelical church. In Valjevo, a Slovenian firm Sava Osiguranje was set on fire, most likely by protesting youths. The Radio Television of Serbia took American films and sitcoms off the air, replacing them with content from Spain and Russia, who have been against Kosovo's independence.

The Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration warned against travelling to Belgrade, resulting in the cancellation of an Adriatic League basketball match between Zagreb's KK Cibona and Belgrade's KK Partizan. A concert by the Croatian band Hladno pivo scheduled for February 29 was similarly cancelled. Also on February 22, the United States embassy in Serbia ordered the temporary evacuation of all non-essential personnel, after the protests and attacks on the embassy. Rian Harris, a U.S. embassy spokeswoman, explained the evacuation to AFP saying that "Dependents are being temporarily ordered to depart Belgrade. We do not have confidence that Serbian authorities can provide security for our staff members." Slovenia also closed its own embassy, recommending its citizens not to travel to Serbia. The European Union froze talks with Serbia on the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, the country's next step in EU-integration. Meanwhile, nationalist organizations were reportedly spreading leaflets urging citizens to boycott banks and goods coming from the countries that support the independence of Kosovo.