LimbicNutrition Weblog

This was the comment from Fox News Serbia tonight. Mobs of football hooligans have attacked the embassies lining Kneza Milosa street, one of Belgrade’s main thoroughfares, and looted shops, a McDonalds restaurant and foreign banks in the city centre.

As of 22:00, it seems to be mostly over. Even at its worth it looked worse than it was. Trouble from Serbia’s well organized hooligan firms is nothing new. They riot regularly here in Belgrade. Every derby between Belgrade’s two main football teams requires a full call-up of police reserves.

The mob were encouraged by irresponsible politicians - like the head of Slobodan Milosevic’s party - who stated that stone throwing was a democratic right. They must have know that calling a huge protest days after similar riots, was dangerous. There has been a company of riots cops deployed outside every embassy on Knez Milosa for the last week. Their conspicuous absence when the mob attacked requires explanation.

The violence tonight was fully expected. Western embassies were texting and emailing their citizens all week warning us to stay away from the demonstrations. Since Monday, the day after rioters attacked the US and Slovenian embassies in response to Kosovo’s declaration of independence, Serbs have been warning foreign friends to avoid speaking foreign languages too loudly on the streets (although that is pure alarmism. In three years I have never once encountered serious xenophobia and the mobs are not attacking individuals). The city was tense today, but not threatening. On my was home from the office tonight the streets were abandoned. A police helicopter was circling over the city centre and occasionally the sound of riot could just be heard from the south.

President Tadic - on a state visit to Romania - has appealed for calm.

The state TV channels are as usual broadcasting their typical sentimental propaganda - slow motion flags, pictures of holy icons and “Kosovo is Serbia” in Serbian along the bottom of the screen. CNN is taking an uncharacteristly pro-Serb line. B92, the liberal channel, is reporting the trouble live, as is Fox News Serbia. Stratfor is worried about a possible coup, they are afraid the bulk of the protesters will join the hooligans. I very much doubt they will.

Just to let you know how decent and kind most Serbs are, I was called from Budapest by one of my best Serbian friends, who is on a business trip. He was calling to tell me that another friend who owns a luxury country hotel in Novi Sad (the absolutely magnificent Salas 137 Country Hotel) was offering to host my girlfriend, my Scottish business partner and myself free of charge in his hotel until the trouble dies down. They had a car ready to come and get us. Now THAT is typical Serb behaviour that I hve come to know and love. It is a great example of the warmth and kindness of the majority of the people in this lovely country.