Serbia: 16 injured during anti-Romani demonstration in Belgrade

An anti-Romani demonstration last Saturday on the outskirts of Belgrade resulted in injuries to 16 people, 13 of them police officers. The clashes were instigated by a group of approximately 100 hooligans. B92 radio and television reported today that police detained 20 of the rioters.

The violence took place in Resnik, where authorities have started building “container” housing for Romani people who have been displaced from settlements in the center of the capital. The protesters disagree with the construction of a housing estate for Romani tenants. Demonstrators threw stones at police and blocked roads to prevent access to the approximately 80 “container” apartments.

An estimated 500 000 Romani people live in Serbia, which means they comprise roughly 7 % of the Balkan country. Many members of the Romani minority in Serbia are originally from Kosovo, having fled the 1999 war there.