The entrance to Sveti Stefan was closed for hours, a group of locals asked to be let onto the island

The entrance to the Sveti Stefan hotel town was reopened after several hours, after a group of locals who demanded to be allowed "entry to the island built by their ancestors" and to go to the church dispersed, which they were eventually allowed to do.

A group of residents of Pržno and Sveti Stefan today marked the 66th birthday of the city of Hotel "Sveti Stefan" with a protest walk.

They broke through the security of the tenant of the elite resort, the company "Adriatic Properties", and entered the path next to the Queen's Beach, and then entered the left part of the King's Beach with a message that it was a public good.

The tenant, Adriatic Properties, filed a complaint, claiming that a security guard was injured and his phone was broken.

A group of locals, including officials from the Civic Movement URA, New Serbian Democracy (NSD), and the Socialist People's Party (SNP), came to the very entrance to the city hotel, where they demanded that they be allowed to enter the island and go to the church.

Member of the Sveti Stefan Local Community Council (MZ) and vice president of the URA Border Patrol Agency, Blažo Radjenović, previously told "Vijesti" that they would remain at the entrance until they were allowed to enter the island.

They once again sent a message to the Government of Montenegro that the beaches must be open to everyone, that the contract with the lessee is harmful and contrary to the interests of the citizens of Montenegro.

The tenant of Sveti Stefan called the police to allow guests of the hotel town to enter, because, as he claims, locals were blocking the entrance.

On the other hand, the locals claimed that they were the ones who wanted to unblock the entrance because the tenant had closed the island to both locals and guests.

The police arrived and observed the situation from about a hundred meters away.

Guests were unable to enter or leave the island for several hours.

A tourist who had purchased a ticket to enter the island was unable to do so due to the blocked entrance.

The tenant did not open the island's gate even to tourists who had purchased a ticket, because he was afraid that locals might enter.

Radjenovic said in front of the gates of the closed city hotel: "Milojko Spajic and Nikola Jovanovic said that Sveti Stefan is open. See for yourself if they are telling the truth. Today is Sveti Stefan's birthday - look at the disgrace of 'Adriatic Properties' - the city gates are closed."

The Police Directorate announced this afternoon that the security company engaged in securing the Sveti Stefan Hotel reported events related to a spontaneous gathering of citizens to the Budva police on two occasions.

"The first report referred to the gathering of several people in front of the gate of the hotel complex and the blocking of the entrance, while the second report stated that the gathered citizens allegedly turned the padlock on the gate. Acting on the reports, police officers went to the scene, namely to the gate of the hotel complex, where they carried out checks within their jurisdiction, identified the persons present and conducted interviews with security representatives," the police said.

They said that the prosecutor at the Basic State Prosecutor's Office in Kotor was informed of all the circumstances of the incident, who stated that in this specific case, the elements of a criminal offense or misdemeanor for which prosecution is being carried out ex officio are not met.

After collecting information and conducting checks, and bearing in mind that no elements were identified that would require further action by police officers in their official capacity, they added, the police officers left the scene.

"Also, the person employed as a security guard, who was claimed in media reports to have sustained injuries, has not filed a police report to date, nor has that person requested medical attention or official police assistance. Also, the said person has not provided the police with specific information about the person he suspects of having caused him injuries, nor has he identified the possible perpetrator of the incident in question. The police officer spoke with the head of security at the said hotel and informed him of the right and manner of filing a report if he believes there are grounds for doing so," the statement reads.

They remind that, in accordance with the Law on the Protection of Persons and Property, security guards are authorized, within their jurisdiction, to perform identification checks on persons, issue warnings and orders, as well as to physically remove persons from the protected area and use means of coercion when the legal conditions are met. "If, when exercising these powers, they encounter physical resistance or circumstances that exceed their legal powers, they file a report with the police, who then take measures and actions within their jurisdiction," they explained.

The police emphasize that, in this specific case, as well as in relation to all events that took place during the day, according to the information collected so far, the security service did not take measures and actions within the scope of its legal powers, nor did it apply legal powers that would constitute the basis for further action by the police upon the request for assistance.

"The Police Directorate continues to monitor the development of the situation in Sveti Stefan and will take all measures and actions within its jurisdiction in order to preserve public order and peace, protect the safety of citizens and their property, as well as ensure the smooth implementation of the law," the institution said.