Around 200 citizens gathered tonight at an unregistered public gathering near Vila Gorica at the invitation of the informal citizens' group STEGA. Police officers acted with extreme restraint and professionalism, while the gathered citizens behaved violently, repeatedly trying to break through the police cordon, the Police Directorate announced.
Police said that one police officer was injured in the incidents and that intensive activities are being undertaken to identify the participants.
"The gathered citizens, who were at the entrance from Bulevar Ivana Crnojevića to Rista Stijovića and Beogradska streets, which lead to the protected facility - Vila Gorica, at one point used physical force - pushing - to try to push away the police officers and break through the police cordon, in order to move and enter the protected area of Vila Gorica without authorization, while throwing stones, bottles, eggs and other objects at the police officers."
"In order to prevent them from doing so, after several warnings and orders issued that the citizens ignored, police officers used the mildest means of coercion, a hand-held spray with an irritating effect, against a group of people," the police statement said.
It is added that shortly thereafter, the group of citizens retreated and ceased attacking and resisting.
"Not long after, some of the gathered, including primarily DM and some members of the Parliament of Montenegro, called on citizens to start breaking through the police cordon again, which soon happened, in a way that the gathered citizens pushed the police officers. During this active attack on the police officers with stones, bottles, eggs and other means, one police officer was injured and received medical attention.
"In order to repel the attack, overcome resistance and establish public order, police officers again used a means of coercion - a hand-held spray with an irritating effect, after which the citizens retreated to the positions where they had gathered," the police said.
The police said that the prosecutor at the Basic State Prosecutor's Office in Podgorica was informed about the incident, and that police officers will take legally prescribed measures and activities to preserve public order and peace, protect the protected facility and area, and enable the smooth flow of road traffic, but also to identify participants in the violation of public order and peace, as well as take legally prescribed measures against all persons who participated in the attack on officials and the violation of public order and peace.
"We emphasize that the police officers, in this specific case, acted with extreme restraint, professionalism and in accordance with the ethical standards of the police service, demonstrating a high degree of tolerance and forbearance.
DON'T MISS IT
On the other hand, the gathered citizens behaved violently, using hard objects, with the aim of forcibly entering the protected area, thereby directly endangering public order and peace, the safety of participants and police officers," the police said.
They once again appealed to all citizens, as well as the MPs present, not to incite violent behavior, not to call for incidents, and not to contribute to the disruption of public order and peace, especially not by endangering police officers on duty.
"Respecting the right to peaceful assembly, we call on all those present to contribute to maintaining security and enable the smooth flow of traffic and free movement of pedestrians towards the Vila Gorica facility," the statement concludes.
Bonus video:
