Opposition Lawmakers Disrupt Kosovo Parliament Session

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Opposition lawmakers in Kosovo have fired tear gas and pepper spray in parliament in a deepening political crisis over relations with Serbia.

The November 17 protest was led by Albin Kurti of the Self-Determination Movement, who used pepper spray on ministers, forcing lawmakers to evacuate the main hall.

A tear gas canister was also opened.

Lawmakers from the ruling coalition later moved to a different hall in the building and approved the budget at a first reading.

Outside the building, opposition protesters threw rocks, bottles, and paint at police officers and parliament.

Opposition lawmakers have been disrupting parliamentary sessions for weeks in a bid to thwart a European Union-brokered deal regulating ties between Serbia and Kosovo, its former southern province which declared independence in 2008.

Based on reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters