Montenegrin Parliament Adopts Religion Law Amid Furious Protests

The Montenegrin parliament passed the controversial Freedom of Religious Law amid chaotic scenes on Friday, despite fierce objections from the Serbian Orthodox Church, its supporters and pro-Serbian opposition parties.

The law was supported by the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS, the ethnic minority Albanian, Bosniak and Croats parties and one opposition party, the Social Democratic Party.

Trying to prevent the vote, MPs from the main pro-Serbian opposition Democratic Front, DF, rushed at the Speaker of Parliament, some saying they were "ready to die" for the Church. Police then intervened and detained the MPs, after which parliament passed the vote.

Police detained a total of 22 people over the incident, including all 18 DF lawmakers, 15 of whom were later released.

"We are ready to die for our church and that's what we are demonstrating tonight," opposition leader Andrija Mandic said during the incident.

Serbian Orthodox bishops, priests and their followers are saying a prayer in Podgorica after their attempts to move beyond the police cordon in order to attend a liturgy were quashed.

Debates on the law on religious freedom are continuing on in parliament. pic.twitter.com/zSuQZN3nUk

— Balkan Insight (@BalkanInsight) December 26, 2019

The controversial law, which sparked nationwide protests and road blockades on Thursday and Friday, includes a register of all religious objects and sites that authorities say were owned by the independent kingdom of Montenegro before it became part of the Serb-dominated Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1918, later renamed Yugoslavia.

Under the law, religious communities will have to provide clear evidence of ownership in order to...