Kosovar Serbs Protest Amid Car-License-Plate Controversy, Resignations

Several thousand ethnic Serbs rallied on November 6 in North Mitrovica -- one of four municipalities in northern Kosovo that have a Serb majority -- in a show of support for Serb officials and police officers who resigned their posts to protest against the Kosovar government's order to change old Serbian-issued vehicle-license plates. The rally was addressed by Goran Rakic, the leader of the Serbian List -- the strongest party backed by Belgrade representing Kosovo's Serb minority. The protesters also demanded the formation of an umbrella organization of Serb municipalities in Kosovo. The step is envisioned in an EU-mediated deal, but Kosovo's Constitutional Court has ruled that its wording contradicts some Kosovar laws.