Methodius unveils monument to Pavle Đurišić, Serbian anthem intoned

A monument to the notorious Chetnik commander Pavle Đurišić was unveiled today in the Berane village of Gornje Zaostro.

The monument was unveiled by Metropolitan of Budimlje-Niksic of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Methodius.

After the unveiling of the monument, the national anthem of Serbia was played.

Video: Balša Rudović

The crowd is celebrating and singing to Đurišić, with several hundred people present.

Chetnik duke Miodrag Gigo Božović spoke at the event.

He said that "the immortal Duke Pavle Đurišić is welcomed to Zaostro by his deputy Vujadin Dobrašinović and standard bearer Radovan Dubak and the entire Serbian Montenegro."

"On behalf of the Voivodeship Council of the United Ravna Gora Movement of Serbia, Montenegro, Republika Srpska and the diaspora, I would like to greet you all and thank you for coming in such large numbers to pay tribute to the greatest hero and martyr, Pavle Đurišić," he said and invited the crowd to applaud Dobrašinović.

Video: Balša Rudović

He said that "they came last night at two in the morning, thinking that no one was guarding the monument."

"There were over a hundred of them, and there were as many of us... They said we had until 15 p.m. to remove the Grand Duke who gave everything for Serbianness and the Serbian people. These, my brothers, are the communists and pioneers of Tito's who have chained their brains. And those old SUBNOR members of theirs are senile, and that organization should be banned and abolished... I tell them - do not overthrow Pavle Đurišić," he said.

Video: Balša Rudović

As he added, "no one's place of worship, no one's monument, must be touched."

"We Chetniks have never destroyed. We will not do so today or tomorrow. We remain what we are - the heirs of the Yugoslav Royal Army in the homeland," he announced.

He called on Metodije to "open the monument on behalf of the entire Serbian people and the Serbian Sparta of Montenegro," after which the Metropolitan of the Serbian Orthodox Church unveiled the monument to Đurišić.

The removal of the monument to Đurišić is planned by 15 pm today. This was previously told to "Vijesti" by those gathered at a gathering of admirers of the Chetnik movement in Gornji Zaostar.

Methodius, who served the liturgy in the Church of Saint Mother Paraskeva in that village, said that he would place the monument in the church, "so let them come and demolish the church."

"Vijesti" was told that the police arrived last night, around two o'clock after midnight, but the crowd did not allow them to remove the monument to Đurišić, and it was agreed that, after raising awareness, they would remove it themselves.