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The new head of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro has taken office and arrived by helicopter under the protection of the police. The police used tear gas to disperse the protesters.
The decision to appoint Bishop Joanikiye II as the new Metropolitan of Montenegro at the historic Cetinje Monastery on Sunday has exacerbated ethnic tensions in the Balkan countries. Montenegro broke away from the alliance with Serbia in 2006, but its church still belongs to the Serbian church.
Since Saturday, protesters have blocked roads 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.
SPC is the main religion in the state, but its opponents accuse it of serving the interests of Belgrade.
The government that came to power at the end of 2020 was accused by opponents of being too close to the church.
According to the image released by the Supreme People’s Court, Joanikiye and Paferiya Patriarch were landed on the lawn of the monastery by helicopter and rushed in with the sound of the bell.
During a protest against the inauguration of the new leader of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro on September 5, 2021, a man walked past burning tires in front of a roadblock that was set up to block the road to the historic city of Cetinje [Savo Prelevic/AFP]Tear gas
The police set up a security border around this 15th century building to protect the brief enthronement ceremony.
The police fired tear gas and sound bombs to clear the protesters from the monastery. When the church figures arrived, some of them threw stones, bottles and firecrackers.
Montenegro’s deputy police chief Dragan Gorovich told national television that 20 policemen were injured, while a national clinic in Cetinje said that about 30 civilians were seeking help because of their injuries.
An Agence France-Presse reporter said that on Saturday, thousands of protesters used cars or piled up rocks to block the road, and many people huddled up by the campfire all night to keep warm.
“I’m here to express my love for this country,” said Saska Brajovic, a 50-year-old protester.
“We didn’t ask anyone for anything, but we were fired by the occupied Serbian church. We are here to defend our dignity.”
The protesters were supported by the Socialist Democratic Party (DPS) led by President Milo Djukanovic.
The President accused neighbouring Serbia and the Supreme People’s Council of “dismissing Montenegro and Montenegrin and the integrity of his country”.
Djukanovic has been eager to contain the influence of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate in Montenegro and establish an independent Orthodox church.
On September 5, 2021, during a protest against the inauguration of the new leader of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro, demonstrators gathered in front of a roadblock set to block the road to the historic city of Cetinje [Savo Prelevic/AFP]Western countries condemn violence
But in the August 2020 election, the DPP lost to the opposition group led by SPC allies for the first time in 30 years.
Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic, who is close to the Serbian Orthodox Church, accused Zhukanovic of deliberately inciting recent tensions for political purposes.
Krivokapic called on Montenegrin people to “not succumb to manipulation by those willing to risk conflict”, “in order to preserve their interests and privileges.”
The prime minister also described the attack on the police as terrorism. According to national television reports, Zhukanovic’s adviser Veselin Verjovic was arrested on Sunday for his involvement in the assault on the police.
For his part, Djukanovic accused the police of using excessive force.
“Today we witnessed the embarrassment of the church and the government,” Zhukanovic said on TV.
The embassies of Germany, Italy, France, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union condemned the violence surrounding the accession to the throne of Joanikier II.
This monastery was where the leaders of Montenegro sat for centuries before the end of World War I. It was considered by SPC opponents to be the property of the Black Orthodox Church, which is still a minority and not recognized by the Orthodox world.
After his predecessor, Metropolitan Amfilohije, died of COVID-19 in October last year, Metropolitan Joanikije was appointed to a new position in May.
When the enthronement ceremony began, the protesters abandoned the blockade.
After protesting against the inauguration of the Protestant head of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the historic city of Cetinje on September 5, 2021, police forces stand in the smoke of tear gas [Savo Prelevic/AFP]
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