Priests' arrests spark Montenegro, Serbia protests

Demonstrations in Montenegro continued on Thursday, a day after police arrested protesters demanding the release of priests jailed for leading a religious procession during lockdown measures.

Police detained dozens following clashes at rallies on Wednesday, as anger flared over the detainment of eight Serbian Orthodox Church priests.

Twenty-six officers were injured during the unrest in the towns of Niksic and Pljevlja, police said.

One of the injured policemen has been hospitalized, in a statement that said around 60 people were detained in several towns.

Prime Minister Dusko Markovic in a televised address on Thursday condemned the clashes.

"There is no reasonable explanation or justification for such behavior," Markovic said.

The protests followed the arrest of the Serbian Orthodox Church priests who had led a procession Tuesday that a few thousand people attended without wearing face masks or respecting distancing rules.

On Thursday evening, the protesters in Niksic stood on the pavement without blocking traffic .

They did not appear to wear face masks and stood close to each other despite the rules against the new coronavirus.

In neighboring Serbia, a few hundred also gathered in Belgrade, holding Serbian flags, demanded the release of the eight priests.

The incidents have added to tensions between the government and the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro, which earlier this year organized months-long protests against a religious law that critics say would strip the church of its property.

Montenegrin authorities have denied this would happen.

Large gatherings are still banned in Montenegro as part of efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

The detained priests are facing charges of violating health regulations during the virus outbreak by organizing the procession.