Several thousand protesters charged at the Parliament building in downtown Podgorica, the capital, shouting “Milo Thief” and throwing various objects, including fire-bombs, at riot police guarding the site.
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Protesters threw firecrackers and flares at the police, while the police fired tear gas and smoke bombs at the crowd.
Police and protesters, a few of whom were masked and violent, clashed in several places later in the evening, the minister said. The opposition had camped for three weeks before the Parliament; on Saturday but admitted the police their camp. Other opposition leaders were not immediately reachable for comment.
The October 24 protest, which began at a central square in Podgorica, was held amid tight security – with barricades placed around government buildings.
Protesters fight with police as they march on parliament, calling for resignation of Milo Djukanovic and snap elections. [nD0N0ZF00L ]At the rally, Milan Knezevic, a top-ranking Democratic Front’s official, demanded Djukanovic and his allies accept the creation of an interim government and “first fair and honest” elections. Opposition leader Nebojsa Medojevic shouted “the dictator must fall”, referring to Mr Djukanovic, who has been in power for 25 years and whom opposition accuse of authoritarian rule. We are not nationalists.
The government has claimed the protests are supported by Russian Federation and Serbia, and that they are aimed at preventing Montenegro from joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation alliance. The opposition movement combines pro-Western parties and pro-Serb elements who cherish close ties between Montenegro and Belgrade. The protesters called for the resignation of the country’s prime minister, Milo Djukanovic.
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Elections are scheduled for early 2016. They also aimed against Montenegro’s North Atlantic Treaty Organisation accession.
