Tense Calm in Montenegro After Day of Mass Protests

Montenegro was under a cloak of tense calm on Thursday, after mass protests in several cities, which were strongly repressed by the police and during which people were arrested and injured, including minors.

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The origin of the situation was the detention of Orthodox Archbishop Joanikij and eight other clergymen who were saying mass in honor of Saint Vasilije Ostrovski on May 12, when thousands of people gathered and authorities considered that the rally was a violation of social distancing due to Covid-19.

In light of that action, residents in Niksic and Pljevlja, the second and third largest cities in the country, as well as in Berane and Budva, took to the streets and blocked roads to condemn the detentions of the prelates, an action that they described as unjust and discriminatory against that religion, which is professed by more than 72% of the country's population.