The canisters were released before the start of the ceremony at Pristina’s main Skanderbeg Square.
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Kosovo’s biggest opposition party Vetevendosje said its supporters had released the tear gas and vowed not to accept Thaci as president, a largely ceremonial role.
Kosovo’s newly elected president, Hashim Thaci, will be inaugurated in the capital, Pristina, on April 7.
“I think that he [Thaci] was elected only through the application of brute force against opposition and peace, through the blackmail of LDK (Democratic League of Kosovo) MPs, who were clearly against his election, and through unacceptable concessions towards Serbia that goes beyond his constitutional rights”.
Those who threw the canisters Friday were scattered in small groups surrounding the chairs for the guests.
There have been protests since last September over a deal signed between Kosovo and Serbia which gives more powers to the ethnic Serb community.
An Associated Press television crew saw five or six supporters being detained by the police while the others were pushed away.
The opposition has been opposing the government for months, blocking in all possible way parliament’s activities, also by throwing tear gas inside.
Thaci, a 47-year-old former leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army, which led Kosovo to independence, succeeded Atifete Jahjaga as the republic’s fifth president. “As such, he is an illegal President, we will not recognize him and we will not attend to the estimation of any of his acts”, said Hoxha. We shall continuously and without compromise oppose him.
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Thaci was sworn on Thursday at a parliamentary session boycotted by opposition.
