Dozens injured in Pristina, police used tear gas and water cannons

Police today used tear gas to disperse around 2,000 demonstrators in Pristina who took to the streets demanding the dismissal of Serbian minister Aleksandar Jablanović. They accuse him of insulting Albanian war victims.

Demonstrators clashed with police when they tried to move them away from the government building near Skenderbeg Square. Officers attempted to disperse the crowd with tear gas and water cannons, and dozens of people were injured in the riots.

Kosovo Police Director Shpend Maxhuni stated that 56 police officers were injured in the violent protests in Pristina and that more than 100 people have been arrested so far.

Maxhuni said that the protests escalated into violence when certain groups did not join the peaceful protests but instead began to threaten order and public safety.