Serbs set fire to US embassy in Belgrade

Serb rioters set fire to an office inside the US embassy today as police clashed with protesters after an estimated 150,000 people demonstrated against Kosovo’s declaration of independence.

Masked men broke into the US compound in Belgrade, which has been closed this week, and tried to throw furniture from an office. They set fire to the office and flames were seen shooting up the side of the building.

The neighbouring Croatian embassy was also targeted by the same group of protesters and smaller groups attacked police posts outside the Turkish and British embassies in another part of the city, but were beaten back.

Elite police paramilitaries drove armoured jeeps down the street outside the US embassy and fired dozens of tear gas canisters to clear crowds.

The protesters fled into side streets where they continued clashing with the police as half-a-dozen fire engines moved in swiftly to put out the fire.

Groups broke into a McDonald’s restaurant and ransacked the interior. A number of other shops were also vandalised and hooligans were seen carrying off running shoes, tracksuits and other sporting goods from a department store.

Riot police chased small groups in other parts of the city surrounding the national parliament, where the rally was held earlier in the afternoon.

US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack today urged the Serbian government to protect the US embassy. He said the US ambassador was at his home and was in contact with US officials.

Mr McCormack said security officials and Marine guards were in a different part of the compound, but nobody was inside the embassy building.

“We want to strongly urge them, and we are in contact with them, to make sure that they devote the assets to deal with this situation,” Mr McCormack told reporters, referring to the Serbian government.

Serbia has “a responsibility now to devote the adequate resources to ensure that that facility is protected.”

The embassy’s spokeswoman could not immediately be reached for comment.

Doctors at Belgrade’s emergency clinic reported treating more than 30 injured, half of whom were policemen. All were lightly injured, said Dusan Jovanovic, deputy chief of the clinic. He added most of the injured protesters were “extremely drunk.”

Serbia’s President Boris Tadic, visiting Romania, appealed for calm and urged the protesters to stop the attacks and move from the streets. Tadic said that violence was “damaging” Serbia’s efforts to defend Kosovo.