Police fire tear gas to disperse ethnic Albanians protesting Serb official's visit
(12 May 2011) SHOTLIST 1. Mid of police beating protesters with batons and spraying them with pepper spray, pan across scene 2. Mid of angry protesters facing police cordon 3. Mid of car with Serbia licence plates as rock hits the back window, riot police units deploying in the background 4. Various of group of riot police advancing with shields and batons 5. Wide of riot police with protesters in background 6. Wide of Kosovo government car being hit by stone 7. Wide of more riot police units deploying 8. Mid of Albin Kurti, in white shirt, leader of Self-determination opposition party and member of parliament 9. Wide of government workers looking at the riot from their office windows 10. Wide of police and chanting protesters 11. SOUNDBITE, Islam Ilazi, protester: "All the crimes that they (Serbia) committed upon us have been forgiven to Serbia by this government. They have forgiven all those crimes and have invited a man who is not welcome here." 12. Mid of angry man in red shirt shouting at police from among protesters 13. Riot police pushing at protesters using their shields 14. Wide of protester throwing rocks then running as tear gas fumes fill the air 15. Riot police marching towards protesters as stones hit their shields 16. Wide of protesters, fleeing as teargas shells fall by their legs 17. Wide of protester throwing stones 18. Mid of Self-determination activist shouting in pain as police arrest him 19. Riot police blocking off access with garbage containers 20. Wide of ambulance 21. Wide of police 22. Tilt down from government building to police STORYLINE Kosovo police in riot gear fired tear gas and used batons Thursday to disperse a crowd of some one hundred ethnic Albanians who threw rocks and cans filled with red paint at them in protest over a visit by a Serbian official. The protesters, mainly members of a nationalist opposition party that opposes ongoing talks between Kosovo and Serbia, chanted "Shame, Shame" and shouted the name of the rebel group that fought Serbia during the 1998-99 war. The head of the party, Albin Kurti, was also among the protesters. Kurti has refused to meet with the Serbian official, Borko Stefanovic, the head of Serbia's delegation that is engaged in talks with Kosovo officials. Stefanovic is the first senior official to visit and meet with ethnic Albanian leaders of this former Serbian province, which declared its independence in 2008. Stefanovic met with Kosovo's Justice Minister, Hajredin Kuqi , and his Kosovo counterpart, Edita Tahiri on Thursday. Talks between Kosovo and Serbia are overseen by the European Union and focus on issues such as easing travel between the two sides and increasing economic cooperation. Although the talks are not expected to resolve the dispute over the territory, international officials see it as a thawing of relations between the former foes that seek eventual membership in the EU. Some 10-thousand people, most of them ethnic Albanians, died during the 1998-99 Kosovo war as Serbia launched a brutal crackdown to prevent a secession. NATO bombed Serbia for 78 days in 1999 to end the fighting and forced Serb troops to withdraw. "All the crimes that they (Serbia) committed upon us have been forgiven to Serbia by this government," said Islam Ilazi, an ethnic Albanian protesting against Stefanovic's visit. "They have forgiven all those crimes and have invited a man who is not welcome here." Serbia refuses to accept Kosovo's independence and has vowed to block its membership in international organisations such as the United Nations. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
