Serbian police have banned a festival that promotes cultural exchange with Kosovo in a sign of growing nationalism and government pressure on liberal voices in the Balkan country.
BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbia n police on Thursday banned a festival that promotes cultural exchange with Kosovo , in a sign of growing nationalism and government pressure on liberal voices in the Balkan country.
A police statement cited security concerns as the reason to ban the Mirdita, dobar dan event that was due to start later on Thursday in Belgrade with a theater show from Kosovo. Serbia does not recognize the 2008 declaration of independence by its former province, which is overwhelmingly ethnic Albanian. The Mirdita, dobar dan festival, whose name means “hello” in Albanian and Serbian, is organized by youth groups from Serbia and Kosovo seeking to bridge ethnic divisions created by a 1998-99 war and the
The police ban came after several dozen right-wing extremists gathered outside the festival venue on Thursday, seeking to prevent its holding while waving Serbian flags. Police said they wanted to prevent “danger to the security of people and property and to public peace and order on a larger scale.
Earlier this week, authorities banned a Bosnian actor and author from entering Serbia, saying he was a threat to national security, and deported him back to Sarajevo, Bosnia’s capital. In the past months, Serbia’s independent and investigative journalists have complained of increased legal pressure and threats.
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