Thousands protest in divided Kosovan town

Riot police used tear gas and pepper spray to separate hundreds of ethnic Albanian and Serb protesters in the divided town of Mitrovica today.

About 2,000 ethnic Albanians demonstrated against Serbia’s local elections held in the Serb-dominated part of the town.

The protesters, led by veterans of the 1998-1999 war against Serbia, see today’s vote as a breach of Kosovo’s sovereignty. Serbia does not recognise Kosovo’s independence.

Hundreds of Serb counter-demonstrators threw stones and fireworks as police struggled to keep the two sides apart.

Police used tear gas and pepper spray to disperse Serb protesters trying to charge across a bridge splitting the town into a Serb north and Albanian south.

Nato peacekeepers were also deployed on the bridge.