Last week, thousands of Kosovo Serbs protested a controversial election in front of administrative buildings in Zvecan and other Serb-majority municipalities in northern Kosovo, which Belgrade refers to as its Kosovo and Metohija region as it has never recognized the independence of its former province. KFOR troops fenced off the buildings with barbed wire, and Kosovar police fired tear gas to repel the Serb protesters, with the largest clash taking place on May 29.
KFOR has now removed the barbed wire fences in Zvecan, the Vecernje novosti newspaper reported.
Earlier in the day, the head of Serbia's office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, said that video footage of the May 29 clashes showed that the responsibility lay with the Kosovar police, who used excessive force against Serb protesters. On Friday, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that the clashes were caused by the actions of Kosovar police, not the KFOR contingent.
Serb demonstrators demanded the removal of ethnic Albanian mayors who took office following municipal elections with a marginal 3.5% voter turnout that were boycotted by Kosovo's Serb community. At least 52 Serbs and 30 KFOR troops were injured in the May 29 clashes.