Reporter's Record: Demonstrations in Banja Luka

AIM Banja Luka, May 8, 2001

The announced ceremony of laying the corner stone for rebuilding of the Ferhadija mosque in Banja Luka was expected like one of the many that have lately taken place in B&H. It was believed that the Serbs were especially used to them by now - from the opening of the mosque in Kozarac, to the memorial centre in Potocari near Srebrenica.

Just two days earlier, the prevented laying of the corner stone for the mosque in Trebinje did not attract much attention. Many believed that it was an excess that could happen only in the still "hardcore" Herzegovina.

Ferhadija mosque was a cultural monument protected by UNESCO. It was built in the second half of the 16th century, and it exploded on May 7,

1. Serb extremists among politicians claimed that Ferhadija was a monument to the occupation and the occupiers of the Serb people.

The authorities of Republika Srpska persistently avoided to issue a permit for rebuilding of Ferhadija. Not even the verdict of the Chamber for Human Rights reached two years ago could help. Only a month ago they succumbed to pressure when local authorities finally issued a permit for construction. Among seven destroyed mosques the Bosniaks decided to build Ferhadija first.

The first news on excesses near Ferhadija caused surprise. And it all began a few hours before the announced official ceremony. A group of young people gathered in front of a few cafes across the street from the building of the Islamic Religious Community (IVZ) and the place where the corner stone was supposed to be laid, made its presence known by playing Serb "patriotic" music and by shouting "You will be beaten up". Then they started throwing eggs and rocks at everybody who entered the yard of the IVZ building. Nobody could escape the barrage of stones, bottles and eggs. Even foreign minister of B&H Zlatko Lagumdzija was hit in the head by a stone while he was stepping out of the car which already had its windshield broken.

A double cordon of the police prevented entrance of the highly charged group of young demonstrators in the space around the location of Ferhadija, but the policemen did not intervene. The policemen guarded with their bodies the departure of a few visitors to a safe distance exposing themselves to the shower of rocks thrown by demonstrators. Another unit of special police stood ready at a reserve location, waiting for the order to take their position.

The atmosphere continued to heat up as the time of the beginning of the ceremony grew nearer. It reached its climax when Special Envoy of UN Secretary General Jacques Paul Klein arrived. His car was showered with rocks, and the stampede of riotous young men broke the cordon of the police in the second attempt. A few hundred officials standing in front of the IVZ building became the targets of the demonstrators. The shower of rocks forced them into the building where they remained as hostages for six long hours. A part of the confused ones ran away towards the buses at the parking lot near by. A young man unsuccessfully tried to climb along the crossbars on the windows in order to take off the religious flag from the post. He gave up but took the carpet from which the speeches were supposed to be given. The flag was taken down in the second assault and the flag of RS put up instead while the carpet was set on fire.

Among the captives were Klein, British Ambassador Graham Hand, Banja Luka Bishop Franjo Komarica, two ministers in the government of RS (Fuad Turalic and Dusan Antelj), Lagumdzija, deputies Tihic and Sasivarevic, B&H TV crew... The building was constantly under a shower of rocks.

The riotous group of about one hundred hooligans who as the well-informed claim are the fans of Banja Luka "Borac" football team and followers of the Serb Democratic Party (SDS) celebrated their successful onslaught in a stampede towards the parking lot where ten odd buses from B&H Federation were parked after they had brought the believers from Bugojno, Kljuc, Cazin... Four drivers managed to drive away in damaged buses. The remaining buses were showered with rocks and then set on fire. Soon after that two official cars were also set on fire.

A few people were severely beaten up because they were believed to be "Turks". Thousands of citizens of Banja Luka silently watched the vandalistic attack of the hooligans. The police did not react either. Individual attempts to prevent them were unsuccessful. The events obviously got out of hand.

The head of Banja Luka police entered the building of IVZ and asked that the ceremony be postponed. Prime Minister of RS Mladen Ivanic also came to the building of IVZ. The captured journalists reported that Ivanic declared that he would leave the building only when safe exit was ensured for all those who were in the building.

Two SFOR helicopters were constantly circling above the demonstrators. One landed on the empty space behind Ferhadija, but immediately took off again, showered with eggs and rocks. Rumour spread among the journalists that SFOR had given an ultimatum that the building of IVZ had to be unblocked within half an hour or else it would intervene. Several hundred members of special units were waiting ready for the intervention since early morning in about fifty SFOR vehicles parked downtown. Some people were asking around why members of IPTF and SFOR were not safeguarding the gathering, others were checking where US Ambassador Thomas Miller was. (It turned out later that Miller had left the scene of the developments in time).

Unexpectedly, President and Vice President of RS Mirko Sarovic and Dragan Cavic, and Chairman of the People's Assembly Dragan Kalinic appeared among the demonstrators. Sarovic and Cavic appealed on the demonstrators to disperse and enable the persons caught in IVZ building to come out. They were welcomed by whistles and then chanting "Raso", "Raso" (Radovan Karadzic).

In the meantime somebody brought a piglet in front of the IVZ building. The animal peacefully sniffed in front of the entrance as if it had been fed there for days. Then it moved on to the place marked for the corner stone and started to turn up the ground with its snout. This insulting wisecrack provoked salvoes of laughter.

When the leaders of SDS arrived, the demonstrations started to die down. Members of the special forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of RS began evacuating the building of the Islamic Community. Closed vans drove away groups of people in an unknown direction. Klein said he would come out last and give a statement to journalists. The evacuation lasted until evening. Klein, Ivanic and Lagumdzija were the last to come out.

A few hours later, the officials of RS gave vague statements. In them they condemned irresponsible demonstrators, demanded that they be called to account and expressed recognition of the right of all to practice religion. But nobody admitted guilt, no resignation was offered.

Branko Peric

(AIM)