The use of force and tear gas by the Montenegrin police while dispersing protesters rallying across the country against the detention of a Serbian Orthodox church bishop and several priests is justified by the situation, Montenegro's Council for Citizens' Control of the Police's Performance said on Thursday
BELGRADE (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th May, 2020) The use of force and tear gas by the Montenegrin police while dispersing protesters rallying across the country against the detention of a Serbian Orthodox church bishop and several priests is justified by the situation, Montenegro's Council for Citizens' Control of the Police's Performance said on Thursday.
Late on Wednesday, citizens took to the streets in several cities across Montenegro to protest the three-day detention of Bishop Joanikije of Budimlye-Niksic and seven other priests for leading a religious procession to celebrate St Vasilije's Day despite the government ban on public gatherings because of the coronavirus. In the town of Pljevlja and the city of Niksic, police used tear gas to disperse the crowd of people who were throwing stones and bottles at officers, leaving dozens injured on both sides of the conflict.
"In Pljevlja, chemical means were used for coercion, and the crowd of people was dispersed. Based on the available data, the council established that the use of these means was justified," the council said in a statement.
According to the council's data, on Thursday night, four citizens, including a child, and four police officers sought medical assistance due to injuries that were mainly caused by the effects of the tear gas.
Meanwhile, a video showing a young man being beaten by several police officers, which caused a backlash on social media, still requires a clarification of the circumstances, the regulatory body said, adding that, according to the footage, the citizen had first attacked a policeman from behind.
