US embassy in Belgrade attacked by demonstrators
The embassy in Belgrade was attacked
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Thursday, 21, Feb 2008 08:41
The US embassy in the Serbian capital of Belgrade has been attacked and set fire to by protestors.
Several hundred demonstrators protesting Kosovo's independence from Serbia threw rocks and set fire to part of the embassy.
Riot police were called and fired tear gas at the crowd before armoured vehicles managed to form a secure perimeter around the building.
US state department spokesman Sean McCormack said: "We are in contact with the Serbian government to ensure that they devote the appropriate assets to fulfil their international obligations to help protect diplomatic facilities in this case."
CNN reports that 32 people had been injured in the disturbance, 14 of which were police officers.
The demonstration was part of a larger peaceful protest by over 150,000 people earlier in the day.
Serbian prime minister Vojislav Kostunica claimed at the rally that Kosovo would always be Serbian and said the deceleration of independence was illegal.
"As long as we live, Kosovo is Serbia," Mr Kostunica said.
"Is there any other nation on Earth from whom [the great powers] are demanding that they give up their identity, to give up our brothers in Kosovo?
"Kosovo belongs to the Serbian people."
The listening crowd responded with chants of "we'll never give up Kosovo, never".
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia on Sunday and along with the US, the UK, Germany and Italy have backed the move, while Russia, Spain and Slovakia have rejected it.