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Serbian Canadians Protest Kosovo Independence in Weekend Marches

Posted on: Sunday, 24 February 2008, 00:00 CST

By Clint Thomas, THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO - Amid a sea of Serbian flags and passionate chants of "Kosovo is Serbia," about 2,000 demonstrators marched to the U.S. consulate in Toronto late Saturday afternoon to protest what they call the "illegal and unilateral" secession of Kosovo from Serbia.

The often-noisy but peaceful protest was the first of several Serbian-Canadian demonstrations planned over the next couple of weeks. On Sunday, protests are scheduled in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery and on Montreal's McGill University campus.

Organizers of the Toronto event urged the federal government not to recognize the Kosovo declaration because they say it violates international law and Canadian standards, and could have ramifications on this country's unity.

"It would be contrary to Canada's national interests because we don't want separatists in Quebec getting the precedent from Kosovo that it's OK to secede unilaterally," said Bojan Ratvokic, a Brock University student who led the event hosted by the University of Toronto Serbian Student Association.

Under the Clarity Act which became law in 2000 in Canada, Quebec or any other province wanting to secede would have to win a "clear majority" in a referendum that is based on a clear question.

The Harper government has yet to take a public stance on Kosovo's declaration. The U.S. and many European nations are recognizing Kosovo's independence, while Serbia's ally Russia, China and Spain are among those who have said they will not.

Kosovo, which is 90 per cent ethnic Albanian, has not been under Serbian control since 1999, when NATO launched air strikes to halt a crackdown on separatists.

A UN mission has governed Kosovo since, but Serbia - and Kosovo's Serbs, who make up less than 10 per cent of the population - refuse to give up a territory they consider to be the ancient cradle of the Serbian state and religion.

"It's the heart of our culture, our history, our religion," said Olivia Alaica, 18, who took part in the protest with her mother and two sisters.

"Kosovo is Serbia as in Toronto is Canadian," added her 20-year-old sister Amanda.

Protest organizers also point toUN Security Council Resolution 1244 passed in June 1999 to back their argument. It reaffirms "the commitment of all member states to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the other states of the region."

Several hundred protesters led by bicycle-mounted police proceeded from near the Ontario legislature to the consulate just down University Avenue, where hundreds more greeted them. Many carried placards, including some reading "Kosovo is the heart of Serbia" and "Kovoso (equals) Quebec."

By that time, the crowd had swollen to over 2,000 by a police estimate. Rows of officers, riot gear helmets attached to their hips, stood behind metal barricades on the west side of University Avenue as others were mounted on horseback, keeping demonstrators well away from the consulate building.

The concern for violence at the event was heightened by the attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade Thursday night, which saw one man killed and 150 others hurt. As well, a violent protest in March 1999 saw the consulate building damaged after it was firebombed.

No one was inside the consulate Saturday, which was closed.

After speeches from organizers, a moment of silence was held to remember Serbian Orthodox churches burned in Kosovo since 1999. Police then allowed seven children through the barricades to place a placard in front of the consulate and light candles before the crowd marched back up University Avenue.

Further protests are planned next weekend in Ottawa, Edmonton and Calgary.

Source: Canadian Press

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